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ENGL 1301 | Writing & Nursing | Ron Heckelman

Research Paper

Assignment Resources

 

Your topic for the paper must be selected from the list provided (see Handouts folder in D2L) and must be approved by the instructor. Once approved in an email, the topic may not be changed. However, your approach to the topic will naturally evolve over the process of doing research. (Papers submitted on topics that have not been previously approved will not be accepted.)

Due: By date announced. The paper must be submitted to the appropriate folder in D2L under the Assignments tab. No late papers, please. No wiggle room at the end of the semester.

Length: 3 ½ to 4 pages, typed, double-spaced.

Sources: Minimum of 3 to 5 scholarly/database/Med Pub sources. Three will be sufficient, but this is your call based on what you think is appropriate for your topic and your approach. If you have found a “popular” source that is useful you may use it. But it would not count toward the minimum of 3 scholarly sources.

*Documentation: APA style is required. See the sample research paper in APA at Purdue OWL as well as the info. about APA on the course Library Guide.

On Sources: The Modified Working Bibliography

Well before the paper is due, you must submit a Modified Working Bibliography as a separate document. This is a list of possible sources on your topic arranged alphabetically and in APA form with brief annotations. You will submit it to the folder so designated to receive it in D2L. It counts as a required separate assignment and receives a grade. At least 5 possible references, in correct APA style, with the appropriate annotations (see handout on this) must be included in the document. The Working Bib. must be submitted by the date announced, prior to the due date for the paper itself.   

Working Bib. handed in late (with no explanation) receive a lowered grade (one full letter grade). Although this does not directly affect the eventual grade on the research paper itself, it reflects on the research paper itself.

You are not obliged to use all 5 of the particular sources in the Working Bib. in the paper, but sources eventually used in the paper must be included in the Working Bib. A new entry or two, discovered since the Working Bib. was submitted, that you want to use in your paper, may be included in a “supplement” to the original working bib. document. The due date for a supplement will be announced.  

The working bib. called “modified” because there is particular information, in a particular order that must be in the annotation for each entry. There will be a separate handout (in the Handouts folder) on how to construct the annotations.

A well-constructed, properly annotated Working Bibliography often means a better research paper. Not unlike quality ingredients often mean a better-tasting cake. But of course, there is more to writing, and baking, than just dropping sources and ingredients into a bowl.

If You Need Help at Any Time: Keep me posted if you encounter any problems doing your research (finding sources, writing a draft et al). You should also get as many writing consults as you want/need in The Write Place (campus writing center). This can be ftf or online. Your paper—any paper—will be better if you use the writing center. See the syllabus, Useful Links, for how to contact The Write Place.

English 1301: Writing and Nursing

Research Paper Topics:  Alternative/Complementary/Integrative Healing

• The Arts and Healing

            Visual Art

            Music

            Writing/Journaling

            Narrative (story telling)

           Healing and Fairy Tales

• Narrative Medicine/Nursing (the power of stories/narratives in the process of healing AND in    professional/critical reflections in nursing)

• Healing and the Labyrinth Archetype

            (much research has been done on this)

• Healing and Companionship of (House) Pets: the horse archetype

• Analyze a Key Archetype Linked to Medicine, Health, Healing

            Fairy/folktales that feature or are about the following:

                        The Circle

                        The Journey

                        The Axis Mundi (world tree, world navel)

                          The Healing Hand(s)

                        Water

• Wounding and Healing in Mythologies and Folklore

            See work of the Jungian Psychoanalyst, James Hillman among others

• Humor/Laughing and Healing: See book by Norman Cousins

• Some Complementary Healing Therapies:

            Acupuncture

            Acupressure

            Aroma Therapy

            Ayuvedic Therapy

            Biofeedback

            Chiropractic

            Naturopathy

            Traditional Chinese Medicine

            Herbal Therapies

• Native American Healing

            Cherokee Healing (see JSTOR article)

• Mexican American Folk Healing: use of the curandero (folk healer)—a form of the shaman

• The Healer Archetype: The shaman (mythic healer serving as bridge to the uncanny/spiritual realm)

Resources

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Research Paper

Your topic for the paper must be selected from the list provided (see Handouts folder in D2L) and must be approved by the instructor. Once approved in an email, the topic may not be changed. However, your approach to the topic will naturally evolve over the process of doing research. (Papers submitted on topics that have not been previously approved will not be accepted.)

Video Tutorials

Below are video tutorials to help you navigate some of the library resources.

Reference Databases

The following resource will provide you some resources for background information. Doing background research will not only help you narrow your focus, but will also help you identify keywords to use when searching the databases for scholarly articles. 

Recommended Websites

Boolean Operators 

Using Boolean operators in a database is highly recommended, as this approach usually generates the most useful results.  Databases are not "intuitive" like search engines (e.g., Google) - they must be "told" how to process a search query.  Boolean operators let you "tell" the database what you want to see in your results.  

AND

Use AND to connect KEYWORDS - Retrieves sources with both/all terms [refines search]

Example: alternative AND medicine AND self-help 

OR

Use OR to connect SYNONYMS & LIKE CONCEPTS - Retrieves sources with either/any term(s) [broadens search]

Example: medicine AND (healing OR treatment) AND self-care 

NOT

Use NOT to EXCLUDE word(s) - Eliminates sources with the word(s) following NOT 

Example: animals NOT people

Identifying Keywords

When you are conducting your background research on your topic, consider the who, what, when, where and why of what you are reading, and highlight or write the main points down. You can use those as keywords in the databases!


Who, what, when, where and why

Use some of the databases listed below to locate scholarly resources on your topic. 

TIP: Look for the Peer-Reviewed or Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals check box when searching! 

Research Databases