Running head: SUCCINCT TITLE HERE
Title Succinctly Describes the Study
Students Name
University Name
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Abstract
An abstract is a brief summary of your research study. The abstract reflects the purpose of the
study. The overview allows readers to determine if the study is of interest to the reader. Describe
the problem in 1-2 sentences. Briefly describe the study population and variables used. Include
basic findings and conclusions. Summarize the implications of the research outcomes. Write the
abstract after you complete your study. You cannot summarize something you have not yet
completed. Word limits are 150-250 words. This is where you can showcase your ability to
write concisely and compact information in a creative way to provide a great deal of information
in a few clear sentences. Are you concise enough? Watch that word count (lower left hand
corner of WORD). (The above is exactly 125 words so you see what size you are looking for!)
Keywords: infection, quality, list your key words here
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Title of Paper Here
The title should summarize the main theme of the paper. It should be clear without
reading anything else. It is good to include the population of the study and the variable or issue
being researched. For example, a good title would be “The impact of hospital magnet status on
patient satisfaction scores in Illinois”. Titles should be 12 words or less if possible.
Your paper should have 1” margins, double spacing, use 12pt Times New Roman font,
have a running head, and page numbers. See the sample on this paper for how to format page 1
and the additional pages for the running head. Make sure it is in Times New Roman 12 pt font
also.
On the first page of your paper you center your title in upper lower case but not bolded.
Then there are no extra spaces before or after the title. Next you put your introduction. You do
not need a sub header that says Introduction. The introduction presents the problem being
researched and the strategy used. It should state why the topic is important. You should review
how the study connects to other research done in the area of focus.
If you cite an article it may be a simple one (Carter, 2010). It also could be multiple
authors (Smith & Davis, 2010). It also could be three authors (Smith, Jacobs, & Jones, 2010).
So where would four take me to (Johnson, Ankers, Kelter, & Cane, 2011). Now when do we
reach the limit? It is six or more believe it or not (Jenson et al., 2011). Smith and Davis (2010)
shows how to do the citation while using the author’s names in the writing. Now once you get to
three or more and have cited it before you can use Johnson et al. (2011) think I should not have
to type so much. If you do a non-parenthetical citation (as in Smith and Davis above) and cite
them again in the paragraph you do not need to repeat the year. In parenthetical citations always
include the author and year even for repeat citations in the same paragraph. If you paraphrase
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you include the page (Smith & Davis, p. 10). If you have additional situations check the
American Psychology Association (2010) manual for a comprehensive grid (p. 177).
Research Question or Hypothesis
Explicitly state your research question and null and alternative hypotheses. Make sure
they include the key variables and study population. Make sure your literature review and
theoretical framework remain consistent with the research question (Polit & Beck, 2010, p. 99).
Wow this links to the research critique we did for quantitative research! It does make rational
sense that the evaluation tool is really the basic building blocks so learning the information on
three pages is critical to critiquing and writing great research reports.
Literature Review
The body of the paper continues with a literature review in a research paper. You review
applicable literature and prior studies on the topic. The goal is to define and clarify the problem
you are studying, summarize previous studies and outcomes, identify gaps in the research topic,
and suggest a plan to take the next step to look at the problem in a new way. You need to cite
your sources and this section and your introduction will be the heaviest in the in text citations.
Some hints on in text citations. When the citation is a group you have to make sure the
group name, which is the author, is in the citations (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2011).
The good news is the next citation you can say that the ANA (2011) states that this is easier than
you think. If Smith and Davis (2010) list a study I want to source in their publication by Geshap.
I can write that Geshap (as cited in Smith & Davis, 2010, p. 12) state that you are really smart to
learn to do APA early and use a template so you think once and then just write after that. Are
you getting the idea that there are many sections to the APA recipe and you may need to consult
the manual whenever you do something for the first time?
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Sub-header Sample
If you have sub sections to your literature review use a sub header. The level two heading
is flush left, upper lower case, and bolded (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 62).
This helps you organize the literature review so you cover all the topics. Your first section may
discuss Magnet hospitals; the next section may be to review the literature on patient satisfaction
surveys and scores. Be complete but succinct so the reader does not get lost in the words.
Remember if you have a sub-header you have to have at least two or you do not use sub-headers.
Other Things to Consider When Writing
Now how would I do a quote for a dictionary term like “succinct”? I could say: Succinct
(n.d.) is defined as “marked by compact precise expression without wasted words” (def. 2). Or
you could say: It is important in writing well to be succinct. Succinct is defined as “marked by
compact precise expression without wasted words” (Succinct, n.d., def. 2). So now you also see
how to do an in text quote if it is less than 40 words. “If the quotation comprises 40 or more
words, display it in a freestanding block of text and omit the quotation marks” (American
Psychology Association, 2010, p. 171). So how would I do a long quote? The American
Psychology Association says:
Start such a block quotation on a new line and indent the block about a 1/2 inch from the
left margin (in the same position as a new paragraph). If there are additional paragraphs
within the quotation, indent the first line of each an additional half inch. Double-space the
entire quotation. At the end of the block quotation, cite the quoted source and the page or
paragraph number in parentheses after the final punctuation mark. (p. 171)
Quotes should only be used where the words are critical and paraphrasing detracts from the
meaning. Overuse makes the reading choppy and detracts from the flow. Did you notice that in
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the body of the paper when you insert a page citation it is p. but in the reference section for a
chapter is it pp.? You have to learn when to p. (in text) and when to pp. (reference page).
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
Define a conceptual or theoretical framework that is rational or justified by the topic you
are researching. You can pick a grand theory such as Rogers, Watson, or Orem or you may select
a mid-range theory like Reeds self-transcendence theory. You can also borrow a theory from
another area such as Prochaska’s Stages of Change. There are general theories for many things.
They can be related to online learning or adaptation theories. This area connects the dots with
prior learning on nursing theories.
Method
The method section addresses how the participant’s rights are preserved and ensures the
study design is ethical. You need to first select a research design. When using online data to
create a study, you narrowed down the options for potential types of quantitative research.
Population
Describe the population used for your data. Remember to look at that Frequently Asked
Questions on the Illinois Hospital Report Card site. Address the sample your data represents. Is
any sample bias present?
Data Collection and Measurement
This section will describe how you collected and analyzed the data. You may address
once you get all the data on each variable if any data gaps exist. Keep this clean and clear.
Results
In this section you show your results. Include graphs for each variable studied. The
graphs need to tell the story in a picture with a summary narrative to describe the results. Any
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statistics calculated can be presented such as mean or standard deviation but you do not need to
show your work or calculations. Discuss briefly why the analytic elements selected were used.
This section is not about statistical depth but making sure you are clear and demonstrate
understanding of the analytics used. Make sure the tests used are reliable. Finally, review if the
null and alternate hypothesis are accepted or rejected. Be clear and definitive.
Discussion
Discuss if the findings are consistent with prior research and the conceptual framework.
Can you generalize the findings? If not, address the barriers or concerns. It is perfectly fine to
conclude that you need more research and report any potential bias, confounding variables, or
data gaps. This is where you take your data analysis and apply critical thinking! Link the data
outcomes to clinical practice.
Summary
In the summary discuss any study limitations and generally summarize the studies
validity. Address if the study has meaning to the practice of nursing. This is your chance to bring
it all together. Once the summary is done remember to write your abstract which is a summary of
your report. Check your APA references using the Appendix and submit! You have completed a
quantitative research study in APA format!
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References
Allen, J., & Davis, J. (2010). Journal reference with doi. American Journal of Nursing, 3(4),
122-128. doi:10.1037/02/78-6133.24.2.225
Baker, N. A. (2010). Journal reference with no doi. American Journal of Nursing, 3(4), 122-128.
Canton, M., Jeffland, P., Jen, H., Mosby, J., Sanders, J., Smith, T.,…Buros, N. (2011). Journal
with seven or more authors and a doi. American Journal of Nursing, 3(4), 122-128.
doi:10.1037/02/78-6133.24.2.225
Davis, R. (2008). Online journal reference. Nursing Oncology Journal, 4(1), 23-29. Retrieved
from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ ANAPeriodicals/OJIN.aspx
Elsage, B. B. (2009). Title of a simple book reference. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Finley, J. A., & Johnson, M. A. (2009). Internet book title. Retrieved from
http://www.internetbook.com
Geros, A., Anthony, J., & Fink, T. (2008). Title of book with doi. doi:10.1037/02/786133.24.2.225
Harvy, J. (2004). Title of the chapter in an edited book with no doi. In Geros, A., Anthony, J., &
Fink, T. Editor (eds), Title of the book (pp. 124-142). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Indy, J. (2004). Title of the chapter in an edited book with doi. In Geros, A., Anthony, J., & Fink,
T. Editor (eds), Title of the book (pp. 124-142). doi:10.1037/02/78-6133.24.2.225
Jenson, J. (2004). Title of the chapter in an edited online book. In Geros, A., Anthony, J., &
Fink, T. Editor (eds), Title of the book (pp. 124-142). Retrieved from
http://www.internetbook.com
National League of Nursing [NLN]. (2011). The name of the article cited. Retrieved from
http://www.nln/howtoagood apawriter
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succinct. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/succinct
Website Owner. (2011). Title of article cited. Retrieved from http://www.nln/howtoagood
apawriter
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Appendix
Reference Page Tips
You have to put the References on a new page. Do an insert a page break at the end of the
text so the References automatically go to the fresh page. Work smarter, not harder. The title on
the reference page is upper lower case but not bolded.
Referencing Books
It is often misunderstood that you only reference the chapter in a book if the chapter
author is different from the book author. Make sure you just reference the book if the author
wrote all the chapters. If you paraphrase or quote you use the page in the book. Chapters only
apply in edited books where the author is different for the chapter than the books authors.
Remember the goal of APA is to give the author credit so if the author wrote the whole book just
cite the book. Remember to remove the superscript in the edition of a book. It is (4th ed.) not (4th
ed.). WORD inserts it automatically so you have undo it in the Font bar.
Referencing Internet URL
URLs do not have a period at the end of them. They should work just with copy paste
and the period makes it incorrect. You should check to see it takes you directly to the document
and always remove the hyperlink with a right click and remove hyperlink. APA does not use
hyperlinks. The title of the internet article used is in italic. The author is often the website owner
or organization and the year on the bottom of the webpage. You may have an author on the
article with a date. If you have one, use it. But if not, use the website owner or the organization
sponsoring the website. If no date is on the article or the website use (n.d.). With no space
between the n.d. There is no : after the “Retrieved from” before the URL. It is just: Retrieved
from www.amazon.com
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doi Locator
Need to know if a work has a doi? Place this URL in your favorites to find a doi
http://www.crossref.org/guestquery/ Or maybe you will not find one because the work does not
have one? Not everything has a doi and older works may not have been assigned any when the
concept began.
Double Check the Reference Page
The reference page is meant to guide you. Use the formats you need as a template to
make your references then delete the examples and save and submit. Do a final inspection. Make
sure References is on the top line. Make sure you just double space and use hanging indent in
the paragraph formatting. Alpha sort your references one last time to ensure the list is in the
correct order. Make sure something, the right thing, is in italic in each one. Does the publisher’s
location have a city and state and the state is just two letters?. Is the publisher brief but
intelligible? Did you omit superfluous words like Publisher, Co., Inc. and retain words like
Books and Press? The American Psychology Association (2010) uses “as brief a form as is
intelligible” (pp. 187).