There are several steps involved with writing a research paper. As this was our final project for this course, chapter eight of the text is critical. The academic research paper involves several steps that aid to both inform the audience of the researched topic as well as educate them. As with most forms of writing, the first step begins by understanding one’s purpose and audience. A paper is nothing without a definitive purpose and direction. Without these aspects, readers become bored and lost in random, pointless information. Having a purpose sets the foundation and allows the writer to begin the process of construction.

           The text states that writing research papers indicates the writer is attempting to find answers (Terryberry, 2001). Thus, to find answers, they must begin with a question. This formulates the purpose of the research paper. This also helps narrow the subject and give the paper a path to follow. A large part of this concept is developing a strong thesis. Once again, the thesis of a paper is critical. The next step involves gathering research. For the purpose of our final project, we were to use scholarly sources such as journal articles. Using such sources heightens the integrity of the research. It is important to evaluate the sources used in order to provide actual support. Some sources are misconstrued and should be avoided.

            After gathering necessary information, writers then have to prove their ideas in their paper. The supporting material gathered through research can be expressed as: explanation, statistics, examples, and testimony. Explanation provides answers to what, how, and why. Statistics are used to demonstrate trends, tendencies, or segments. Examples are illustrations of the point being made and the testimony involves the opinions of others (Terryberry, 2001). It is important to include variations of these forms of support in a research paper. Readers seek understanding and relate to the information through specific examples or through the testimonies of others. Thus, including such things will aid in the paper’s success.

            For the final project of this course, students were expected to meet the criteria of an academic research paper. We were given the opportunity to choose our own topic, accumulate the necessary amount of research from appropriate sources, and incorporate that research into our writing—ultimately persuading the audience of our purpose. This project was a good experience in how to go about proper research techniques and including that research into an informative research paper.

            I chose to do my research on the prevalence of child abuse and the long term consequences. I chose this topic because although some aspects of child abuse are well known, such as the various forms and the rate of which it occurs, other aspects need more awareness. The consequences don’t stop when the abuse stops. Lives are forever altered after such encounters. It is important to heighten awareness of this because people are still neglecting to report what needs reporting. Thus, by enlightening the audience of how detrimental child abuse is for the victims, I am hoping to increase awareness of how necessary it is to do the right thing and attempt to spare a child from being forever impaired.

References

Terryberry, K. (2005). Writing for the health professions. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage

            Chapter seven of the text (Terryberry, 2001) helps demonstrate how crucial the argument of a paper is. In both academic and professional writing, writers will come across many controversial issues in which they must take a stance and back it up with evidence and support. Support for this position depends on evidence, reasons, and examples (Terryberry, 2001). This support helps persuade the audience to view the topic from the writer’s perspective. Thus, by determining a solid stance on a subject and backing it up throughout the paper, writers have the opportunity to guide their readers to the same conclusion.

            Writing a paper with the intent to persuade others definitely requires critical thinking. Everyone’s opinion differs. Regardless of the issue, there are certain audiences that will disagree and certain audiences that will agree. The challenge for all writers is convincing the dissenters. Thus, the challenge is not in arguing one’s side of the topic but in refuting the opposition. To do this, one has to analyze the issue from all angles—and attempt to see the argument as various readers will see it. In writing such argument, the tone and choice of words is very important. No one wants to deter their readers by presenting their argument in a wrongful manner.

            Throughout this semester, we were given assignments to practice articulating an argument and using research as a means to support our chosen argument. These assignments were beneficial in that we were able to understand the importance of knowing one’s argument prior to beginning the paper. By choosing a topic we felt involved with, and one in which we held a definitive stance towards, we were able to see the ways we could express the argument in hopes to persuade our audience of the same conclusion. When writing these kinds of papers, it is important to understand the actual concept of an argument and why it is important to portray it in the right context.

            This chapter depicts this well by guiding us through what an argument is, how it is to be supported, and how to revise it using critical reading and reasoning. The information obtained throughout this chapter can be applied for any kind of writing. However, as a potential healthcare worker, this information is pertinent to the topics that may arise in my future career. Healthcare is a field of study that requires critical thinking and having the ability to take an educated stance on topics at hand. In writing, it is important to dictate that stance through words and through evidence based research. Anyone can state their opinion and hope others agree. This, however, is not how professional writing should appear. As professionals, precision is expected and the ability to articulate a sound argument will definitely go a long way in furthering one’s path to success.

            Another important concept learned in this chapter was the section about supporter perspective. This section states that because the writer is the one formulating the argument, they often struggle in visualizing the argument as an objective reader. Thus, it is important for the writer to look at each paragraph and ask whether the paragraph supports the thesis of the paper. Doing this will help the paper become more coherent and unified (Terryberry, 2001).

References

Terryberry, K. (2005). Writing for the health professions. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage

            In chapter six of the text, Karl Terryberry (2001) discusses expository writing. Expository writing is defined as writing that provides information using patterns of organization to create well-reasoned text (Terryberry, 2001). This means that the information presented in context should meet the expectations of the intended audience. In approaching this style of writing, one needs to use narration to tell their story. By doing this, the writer is able to organize their paper in a chronological, comprehensive order that can be easily followed by the readers.

            I can understand how this style of writing may be misconstrued as unprofessional. I agree with the text in that this is not the case. Narrative writing simply enhances one’s information and portrays it in a manner that can be well understood. By relaying the information in a manner that follows a particular order, and that includes all pertinent details in such order, the writer is able to guide their readers towards the ultimate purpose of the paper. Before beginning any form of writing, it is imperative to understand the expectations that need to be met. These expectations pertain to the audience and not just the writer.

            Such expectations include details such as: who was involved, what happened, where it happened, and how it happened (Terryberry, 2001). This list is does not involve all that should be included, however it is a great start when thinking about how to craft one’s paper. By using these events, the writer is able to start chronicling their information and from there they can add further detail and explanation. Alongside this, it is important to determine the ultimate purpose of the paper before beginning. It is difficult to write any length of information if one is unsure of their purpose or where they would like their story to go. The best way to go about discovering this purpose is to create a thesis. Creating a thesis will serve as a reminder and as a guide to the main intention of the paper.

            Another important aspect of expository writing is determining the point of view. As with any writing, it is important to stick to the same point of view throughout the document. I have read several papers that have struggled with this concept. When the author alternates between different points of view, it is extremely difficult for the reader to follow and remain engaged. I, too, have had struggles with this due to not fully understanding the proper occasions for the different points of view. There are times I feel a paper should be expressed in first person, but then other parts of the paper feel as though they should be expressed differently. Thus, it is important to choose the point of view prior to beginning writing.

            Also included in this chapter is the importance of description. Description is what paints the picture for the audience. Writers are able to express feelings, sights, sounds, etc. through their choice of words and their way of expressing detail. No story can be told without describing the events that take place. The text informs us that there are two different types of descriptions. Objective description is what reports the information without interpretation. This means that the events are presented straight-forward, as they are. Subjective description presents the information through what is referred to as an interpretive lens. This means the writer includes their feelings and/or impressions on what is being described.

            These are a few of the main concepts I gathered from this chapter. This information is relevant to my field of study as I need to develop the writing skills that will be interpreted as both professional and conclusive. I understand that regardless of how many times we work on a document; there is always room for further improvement and modification. Thus, by incorporating the main aspects of expository writing, I will have more success in portraying my purpose and inspiring my audience.

References

Terryberry, K. (2005). Writing for the health professions. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage

            An important concept of chapter four in the text (Terryberry, 2005) is avoiding sentence monotony. The text demonstrated how sentences with the same grammatical structure make the paper difficult to read and makes the writer sound uneducated. It is easy to see how a monotonous writing style can appear boring. It does not descriptively engage the audience, nor does it allow the flow of the paper to be smooth. Writing in this kind of style often loses the reader’s attention because it is choppy, inconclusive, and too much information in a list form. Thus, when writing, it is important to remember that the paper is written for the benefit of the reader.

            The text provided key solutions to monotonous writing. One of these solutions was to implement sentence variation techniques. When implementing these techniques, it is important to always think of the effect on the readers. Thus, there are different ways to vary the sentences. One way is to insert short sentences into a mix of longer sentences. By doing this, the writer will draw attention to the short sentences since they stand out. This is where it is important to create emphasis. Because the short sentences stand out, they need to be the most impacting.

            Another way to avoid sentence monotony is to use phrases. The addition of phrases provides meaning and substance to the sentences. There are five main types of phrases that can be used. The prepositional phrase which shows relationship, the appositive phrase which renames the noun it modifies, the gerund phrase that functions as a noun, the participial phrase that acts as an adjective, and the infinitive phrase. With the addition of these phrases, the sentences become the variety that is necessary for professional writing.

            As well as using phrases, there are also four types of sentences that can be used to avoid sentence monotony. By using simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences, writers will incorporate different sentence structures into their papers and will successfully achieve the variation that readers favor. In order to engage one’s readers, it is very important to have variation. No one desires to read a paper that is repetitive, choppy, overwhelming, or incomprehensible. Thus, this chapter reveals the importance of understanding how to avoid monotony and ways to improve one’s work if monotony is involved.

            This chapter of the text proves beneficial to my writing technique. As with many inexperienced writers, sentence structure is often overlooked and left as is. For example, in many of my papers I notice where I have many long sentences in a paragraph and no short sentences to emphasize my purpose. Thus, if I were to simply incorporate these short sentences, the variation of my paper would change tremendously and improve the flow to my audience. Also, if I were to tweak my sentences with the addition of different phrases, my sentences will achieve greater variation that will help keep the reader’s attention. Understanding these concepts are important for any kind of writer.

References

Terryberry, K. (2005). Writing for the health professions. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage

Learning.

Narrative Medicine: A Model for Empathy, Reflection, Profession, and Trust

By: Rita Charon, MD, PhD

This article does a wonderful job demonstrating how much of a difference doctors can make by furthering their understanding and compassion with their patients. Patients seek medical attention for their illnesses, in hopes that the healthcare professionals may discover a solution and provide treatment. However, it is not often interpreted that patients often need more than this. They need comfort, understanding, and empathy for what they are experiencing or for what is to come. Healthcare is a sensitive occupation because it directly affects the lives of other individuals. As human beings, it is difficult to address situations without using feelings. There are times when it is important to remain objective, however there are also times where it is important to relate to the patient.

            As the article states, scientifically competent medicine alone can’t help a patient handle the loss of health or find meaning in suffering. Thus, a better education in medicine not only involves science and evidence, it also involves reflective literature of actual stories—stories that can prepare the physician of how to address certain situations, what reactions to expect, and how such reactions can be handled. Medical school curriculum does a wonderful job informing their students of boundless information regarding diseases, how to treat, how to prevent, etc. However, this does nothing to contribute to the emotions and turmoil that may be encountered.

            Thus, narrative medicine enhances the skills of practicing doctors. These doctors will develop a well-rounded education that introduces them to another aspect of healthcare. This aspect is crucial to providing the best care possible. Patients need guidance, not only in how to take care of their illnesses, but also in how to cope and address what is to come. If the physicians have not experienced such emotions or scenarios, it is more difficult to handle as needed. By studying narrative medicine, they are given the opportunity to review various situations, understand what the patients’ needs were and how they were addressed, as well as being the care provider that made a difference in the situation.

            It is understandable that every situation varies from one to the next. Thus, what one physician does regarding a specific patient can differ greatly from what another does in a different situation. Narrative medicine is an attempt to enlighten students on how to acknowledge, absorb, interpret, and act on the stories and plights of others (Charon, 2001). This gives them an overview of different scenarios and allows them to seek understanding of how, in a specific circumstance, to achieve the ultimate goal: providing the best care possible for their patients. Regardless of the illness, every patient seeks compassion and empathy for their struggles. Narrative medicine improves a physician’s understanding of these needs.

            In reviewing this article, I am completely in favor of narrative medicine. I think it is an enriching advancement to an already outstanding education. With the addition of this curriculum, both doctors and patients will benefit. Doctors will develop a deeper understanding of what lies behind the medicine, the true involvement of their work and the true purpose for providing healthcare. As mentioned previously, patients need more than just an antidote. Struggles are difficult to bear and necessitate further understanding and attention.

References

Charon, R. (2001). Narrative medicine: A model for empathy, reflection, profession, and trust.

American Medical Association, 286. Retrieved from http://blackboard.jchs.edu/webapps/

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