How to Write a Nursing Research Paper?
Students are overwhelmed with the amount of information they must obtain to write a perfect nursing research paper. Getting such information and organizing it well may seem impossible. This may lead to procrastination.
Before we dive in and look at how to write a nursing research paper.
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The first step is just more than half of the whole writing process of writing a perfect nursing research paper. With proper guidance, you can write a good nursing paper that demonstrates an understanding of your nursing practice besides convincing your professor to award you the best grade.
If you are struggling to write a nursing research paper, then you have come to the right place. Here, we show you step by step how to write a good nursing research paper. Read on to see what you need to do when writing your nursing research paper.
What is a Nursing Research Paper?
A research paper refers to a form of academic writing that demonstrates a student’s knowledge, research capabilities, persuasive abilities, and organizational skills concerning a particular subject. Typically, a nursing research paper is written in the American Psychology Association (APA) format. Moreover, the nursing research paper falls into three categories. These include:
- Analytical Nursing Research Paper: In an analytical nursing research paper, students are required to with an analysis of a topic of their choice.
- Argumentative Nursing Research Paper: Although a nursing research paper is analytical, students are required to use information as evidence to support and reinforce their arguments while persuading the reader.
- Expository: This nursing research paper requires students to explain a subject matter with facts.
How to write a Nursing Research Paper Step-by-Step
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Create an Outline
To organize the several information and resources you gather you need a good outline for your research paper. That way, you can effectively create a framework that will for perfect nursing research paper writing. Besides, the outline will help you concentrate your writing on a specific angle when researching, analyzing, and supporting your argument.
An outline will help you work and manage your time right from researching information to the actual writing of your research paper. Once you have the outline ready, you can start your research writing process.
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Prepare a Draft
The next vital step in writing a nursing research paper is to prepare a draft. If you intend to create a new draft from scratch, consider looking at a similar nursing research paper so that you get a working concept on how to formulate a matching structure.
Besides, you can try and search for a good template that you can work with since it will be easier. Make sure you get a template sample that suits your nursing research writing requirements. You can do this by searching on the several nursing specialized online websites that keep nursing academic papers. You won’t miss finding a perfect sample for your nursing research paper.
Additionally, you can review various nursing research papers online to get an effective concept of how to arrange your content for a perfect nursing paper.
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Compare and Contrast Updated Information
Developing a comparison based on the information you research and gather is of utmost importance. To write a good nursing research paper, you need to rely on the most recent data to help you avoid making erroneous mistakes in your analysis. Moreover, up-to-date data will come in handy in making your research paper more accurate and relevant to the changing trends in nursing practice.
Once you gather all the required sources, materials, and content required for understanding your research paper, writing will get much easier. It will help you write a strong nursing research paper that your instructor will like. To attain this, you should go through several similar research papers on the related topic. Keep in mind that it is always vital to look at other academic papers as they might provide a reference when writing your nursing research paper.
As an upcoming nurse, you understand that to attain your professional qualification, submitting a well-written research paper is paramount. You must understand that presenting a high-quality nursing paper increases your chance of making better grades at the end of your course. As such, there is a need to put more effort and time into writing your nursing research paper.
- Formulate a Solid Thesis Statement
Formulating a solid thesis stamen is always a perfect way to start your writing process. Keep in mind that the thesis statement is the foundation of any research paper. For this reason, you need to explain what your research aims to prove in a clear precise way. Don’t forget to analyze the various ways you intend to use in proving your thesis throughout the paper. Without a well-thought-out thesis statement, your nursing research paper will end up disorderly and without a clear-cut purpose.
Writing Your Nursing Research Paper
Once you reach this point in writing your nursing research paper writing, you are likely to feel energized by the ideas, thoughts, and information you have gathered in your research. Besides, you will have a clear direction since you have taken your time to formulate a strong thesis statement and ready to organize your research as guided in your outline.
Components of the Best Research Paper
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Introduction
The introduction provides you with a chance to present the background and context for your research paper. So crafting a strong opening statement that will engage the reader will be important. Just because you are writing an academic research paper does not mean you start a dry and boring opening statement.
Be sure to explain what your research paper aims to achieve and how you plan to approach your thesis statement. Explain whether the research is a factual report, an analysis, or persuasive. Describe how you will organize your research paper and finish your introductory paragraph with a strong thesis statement.
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Body
The body section is where your outline will come in handy. However, remember the outline should not imprison you. Instead, it should guide and keep you on track in the writing process. Even though your research may evolve, refer to the thesis statement and stay focused on it while proving your points. You are the author of your paper, so take charge and use your sources to make your argument.
Let every paragraph have its own point with adequate supporting evidence. Regardless, make sure the paragraphs connect from the first to the last. When introducing a paragraph, start with a topic sentence followed by supportive evidence.
Finish the paragraph with a sentence reasserting how the paragraph contributes to the development of your thesis statement. Also, provide a clue on what the following paragraph will have.
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Conclusion
The conclusion provides you with a chance to wrap up your nursing research paper. Conclude your nursing research paper by restating your thesis in a reworded format. Summarize the points in the body section while explaining why you believe they support your argument.
Ensure your conclusion is brief with easy-to-understand language without bringing in new or controversial content you did not mention in the body section. Try to avoid vagueness as much as possible. Instead, make your conclusion captivating and precise to the point. If you think the research is inconclusive, be sure to state why it requires further research.
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Have Sources Cited and Bibliography Formatted
If you fail to cite the sources your use in your nursing research paper, it is considered as deliberately plagiarized. To avoid this kind of embarrassment and the possible consequences, make sure the in-text citation is done according to the style you use.
Every in-text cited source should appear on the bibliography page and formatted accordingly. If you find it difficult to format your bibliography page according to the required style, you can take advantage of the few online tools for help.
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Proofread and Edit
Once you complete writing your research paper, it is best to proofread and edit your work. While reading through, you can make changes you feel you should. Ensure all the necessary information, paragraphs, and sentences make sense and are coherent with a natural flow.
Equally, check for typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors. Ensure the spellings are corrected and no grammatical errors of any nature in your paper. All the in-text citations should be well-done and all the sources listed on the bibliography page alphabetically.
Tips for a Perfect Nursing Research Paper Format
The content of your nursing research paper shows your understanding of the concepts of your research area. However, formatting is equally vital. Now that you have written your research paper, you may be wondering why you should format your paper.
The reason to format your paper is to show your instructors that you are paying attention to the smallest detail. Besides, not formatting your research paper can significantly affect your grades. In addition to learning how to write a nursing research paper, let us take a quick rundown on how to ensure your formatting is on point.
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Proper Heading
A heading is always needed. Your name, course name, name of your instructor, and date of submission are always required. While the heading of your nursing research paper may seem not very important, some instructors are strict on providing a proper heading. So, depending on the style you use, ensure the heading matches its requirements. Do not lose marks just because you could not format your heading as per your nursing research requirements.
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Margins
Formatting the margins is something you shouldn’t forget. Think about it, when did you last check the margins in word or pages. Probably, you do not even know how to change them. However, keeping a one-inch margin all-round the page will be easy for your instructor to read and mark your research paper. Besides, make sure you pay attention to the requirements of your research paper.
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Original Title
An original title for your nursing research paper tells your reader what the research paper is all about. As such, make sure your title is original and presented in a central position at the top of the page. If your instructor wants a cover page, write the title of your research on the cover page.
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Font, Size, and Space
The general rule is, all college papers are typed in Times New Roman, a default font you can find in every word processing application. The font should always be double-spaced and in 12-point font for easy reading by your audience. This is a crucial formatting rule that you should not take lightly. So, make sure you follow this rule since some instructors are known to mark down a paper for not following the formatting rules.
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Double Check Work Cited
Your nursing research paper will certainly require to have references. Therefore, you will have to create a bibliography page to go along with the research paper. By not having a well-formatted bibliography page could result in your paper being down-marked. As such, do not dismiss the urgency of having your bibliography page well-formatted.
By this time, you are through and ready to submit your nursing research paper. However, it is significant to make sure everything is on point. So, go through your research paper once more from top to bottom while checking for grammar, stylistic, and punctuation errors you might have missed. Also, check for typos.
Check for plagiarism with the help of a recognized anti-plagiarism tool and see if you have any plagiarized content and fix it. Plagiarism is a serious offense in academic circles and might cost your research paper while tainting your entire academic life.
Also, make sure your text is well-structured and easy to read and understand. The sentences should flow freely from one paragraph to the other. Make use of headlines and subheadings. Most importantly make sure the content you have written makes sense based on your research topic.
If you pay attention to these steps on how to write a nursing research paper, your research paper will without a doubt impress your professor to award you the best marks. All the best!