Students often find themselves stuck midway through their applied nursing research papers out of confusion regarding the approach to nursing papers and the outline to follow. This article will highlight some tips for writing a nursing research paper to help you realize a quality paper without much fuss.

How to write a nursing research paper?

Some of the steps to consider when approaching a nursing research paper include:

1. Topic selection

when asked to write a nursing research paper, take time to select a topic that piques your interest. Ideally, your topic should address a recent issue in your field and offer room for new insights on the topic. 

Therefore, this step should be inspired by topic boards and guided by the existing research on your topic. If you are spoilt for choices, feel free to engage your peers and the tutor to shed some ideas, leaving a few relevant topics for consideration. 

2. Research

After selecting a topic, conduct vast research on the topic to establish the research gaps you could address and also to broaden your perspective on the topic issue. When going about your research, jot down various ideas and criticisms of various sources for easy retrieval as you prepare your literature review and use these ideas for support in your paper. 

For more credible sources, consider checking various academic databases dedicated to medical publications. 

3. Research approval

After you have established the angle from which to address your thesis and the methodology for research, prepare a research proposal and present it for approval. This step is essential as it gives you expert insight into any changes that could be made to your research to yield relevant results. 

4. Data collection

Finally, conduct your research as you outlined in your methodology. Make note of any challenges you encounter and how you maneuvered these challenges to allow for easy replication in case a fellow researcher wants to test the credibility of your findings. 

5. Writing 

When going about your research paper, we suggest a chapter-by-chapter approach. This approach will allow you to develop outlines with ease and to check how your thesis statement has been developed throughout your paper. 

6. Editing

Finally, take time to revise your paper to ensure proper referencing, the coherence of arguments, and the grammatical correctness of your paper. You could consider engaging an expert for editing after each chapter to nip various mistakes before increasing the size of your paper. 

Nursing research paper outline

The basic format of qualitative research in nursing includes sections such as:

• Abstract
• Literature review
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Appendices
• References 

However, be keen to consult your faculty’s guidelines to update yourself on the recommended chapters and length of your nursing research paper. 

Topic ideas for nursing research papers

Critical care nursing research topics

1. Do you believe that visitors ought to be permitted in the critical care unit?
2. Case study on the post-traumatic stress disorder system for nurses following a patient’s passing
3. A case scenario examination of the differences between planned and emergency surgery
4. An investigation of how essential nurses’ low pay impacts their commitment to their jobs and level of motivation
5. Can sound critical thinking translate into effective decision-making when it comes to critical nursing care?
6. Do critical care needs for men and women differ?

Pediatric nursing research topics

7. An investigation into the challenges faced by the nursing staff in the pediatric ward as a result of incorrect diagnosis
8. An analysis of the education and experience of pediatric nurses in the care of chemotherapy-treated children
9. Research on the handling of patients with neurological diseases by pediatric nurses
10. What part do pediatric nurses possibly play in convincing parents to vaccinate their infants?
11. Contrasting and comparing the breastfeeding requirements for children in industrialized and developing countries
12. An exploratory assessment of existing practices and initiatives in the United Kingdom to determine the importance of child health nurses in breastfeeding intervention and promotion techniques
13. Pediatric nurses’ responsibilities in the treatment of newborn jaundice

Psychiatric nursing research topics

14. Physical injuries that cause mental trauma: how to aid healing
15. How and why can sleep deprivation affect emotional and mental well-being?
16. How does peer pressure affect mental health and how can it be handled?
17. The impact of hormonal abnormalities on women’s mental health
18. The benefits of music therapy for PTSD
19. Mental illness warning signs that should never be disregarded
20. Do kids who play video games become angry and aggressive adults?

Like you, many readers judge the appropriateness of a publication for their needs based on the title. Hence, a bad title might easily prevent a superb work from eliciting the desired responses in the academic setting. 

This post will discuss some suggestions on how to title your research paper for the most impact on the audience. With the help of this guide and some practice, you can easily get past the typical obstacles that students encounter when coming up with a title for their research papers and draw readers in as soon as they see the title of your paper on various databases.

What is a good title?

A good title for a research paper is one that:

• Allows a reader to predict the content they expect to encounter within your paper
• Reflects your writing tone
• Captures a reader’s attention on the major research question

As such, a good title should concisely highlight the context of your paper and where possible highlight the relationship between various variables. Also, your research paper should highlight the relevant key phrases to allow for easy placement on search results by various academic database search engines.

How to make a good research title: simple steps

Your approach to making a research paper title can make or break your research title. Some of the steps that we suggest you follow when coming up with a research title include:

1. Identify the most important elements of your paper

The first step after you have completed writing your paper is to highlight your research questions and the thesis statement. Also, review each section to highlight ideas including the key research objective, the methodology, the study sample, and the results. 

You can use the questions below to guide your research efforts. 

• What is my paper about? i.e., investigating differences in learning outcomes with application and technology in teaching-learning.
• What methodology did I employ? Why was it best suited for the study? i.e., standardized tests 
• Who were the subjects of the study? i.e., students in Kemit school
• What findings did my investigation yield? i.e., there is a positive relation between technology in teaching learning and a learner’s academic outcomes.

With these questions, you can highlight all the crucial questions that a reader could have, regarding your topic, increasing the conversion rate of your title.

e.g., investigating the differences in comprehension and retention rates with the application of tech in teaching learning among Grade-7 learners in Kemit School using standardized tests.

2. Highlight the important keywords

Next, highlight the key terms that are definitive of your research and likely to be searched by a reader who is interested in your subject. 

i.e., investigating the differences in comprehension and retention rates with the application of tech in teaching learning among Grade-7 learners in Kemit School using standardized tests.

3. Come up with a working title

Next, come up with a title that highlights all the data we have highlighted. 

i.e., i.e., investigating the differences in comprehension and retention rates with the application of tech in teaching learning among Grade-7 learners in Kemit School using standardized tests.

4. Summarize your title’s main ideas

Finally, cut out any unnecessary words to fit your title in the 10–16-word threshold recommended for academic titles.

i.e., The relationship between tech-oriented teaching-learning and performance in standardized tests by Grade-7 learners in Kemit School.

Tips on how to title a research paper

• Write your paper first and use the final paper to develop your title
• Keep your research paper title within the limit of 10- 16 words. This will ensure the efficiency of the title on various search engines as many engines will trim your title to the first 15-18 words
• Avoid complicated terms that would limit the reader from understanding your paper’s main idea
• Don’t add a period at the end of your research paper title
• Review your title to ensure that it adheres to the faculty guidelines
• Use descriptive phrases to better highlight your paper’s purpose
• Avoid phrases such as ‘a study of’ and ‘an analysis of’ in your paper

Can titles be questions?

Yes. Provided that your title draws attention to your research question, you can use a question for your research paper. however, take time to check various examples of titles in research to familiarize yourself with various types of titles.

Often, students struggle to focus their attention on one topic in the multitude of science topics to write about. Other students also find themselves stuck with controversial topics in science, struggling to focus their attention on a specific issue, therefore, submitting inadequate claims for their papers. 

This article will highlight some tips for selecting a science topic and share some scientific topics for research papers to guide you in topic selection. 

How to choose a science topic

We advise that you keep the following suggestions in mind when choosing a science topic. 

1. Choose a broad topic that interests you

Selecting a compelling, all-inclusive subject that sparks your interest is the first step in preparing your scientific essay. 

2. Read extensively about the topic

Finally, scan a number of research articles to identify any knowledge gaps you believe call for additional study. This process gives you a wider perspective to approach the paper by educating you on the subject and allowing you to get more familiar with the research gaps. 

3. Concentrate on one particular topic area

After choosing a topic, focus on a particular research question. By doing this, you will be able to eliminate all doubt from your study and maintain the objectivity of your analysis. Be sure your chosen topic has a clear goal and outlines the context, audience, and research technique of your study before going on to the next step. 

Science research paper topics

Controversial science topics

1. Pedigree breeding and its moral justification
2. Can DNA be used to establish guilt?
3. Should we use science to resurrect extinct plant species?
4. Risks associated with genetic engineering
5. Do we still need nuclear weapons today?
6. Advantages of marijuana for health
7. Do immunizations contribute to autism?
8. Is it appropriate to employ science to prolong life?
9. The abomination that is chick culling

Earth science topics

10. Adverse consequences of a meteor hit
11. Describe the nature of the earth’s crust
12. Why is oceanography important?
13. Explain the link between the sun, moon, and earth
14. Mountains and their underlying tectonic forces
15. Will there be insufficient freshwater for the human race?
16. How fossil fuels are created on Earth
17. Is mars a planet we can live on?
18. The harm coal mining does to the environment

Environmental science topics

19. Study the relationship between industrialization and acid rains
20. A critical analysis of the past ten years’ worth of man-made environmental disasters
21. Analyze the connections between environmental and energy laws
22. Natural resources and developing economies’ contributions to stabilizing environmental problems
23. Examine the likelihood of the US implementing the EU’s renewable energy directives
24. How to lower carbon emissions and what laws did the UK use to achieve this?
25. Critically examine any environmental law from any country of your choice
26. What are the chances that humans will be able to stop and slow down global warming?

Good science topics

27. Were mask requirements, lockdowns, and other mitigating strategies successful in slowing the spread of COVID-19? Did they stop serious illnesses and fatalities?
28. Is specializing a more advantageous tactic for farmers?
29. Does a man’s physical activity have a beneficial or negative impact on the DNA features he passes on to his offspring?
30. How can cancer patients be treated with nanotechnology?
31. What drives viral evolution? Do viruses always change over time to become less dangerous?
32. What connections does COVID-19 have to SARS, MERS, and other coronaviruses in humans?
33. Do men who live longer pass genetic defects to their offspring?
34. How might the usage of antibiotics in agriculture be minimized?

Science research topics

35. Are nanofibers the solution to treating brain and spinal cord injuries?
36. Why does breast cancer affect so many women?
37. Can a cancer vaccine be created?
38. Why is it so challenging to eradicate malaria?
39. How do cells defend the body from illness?
40. How are scientific issues resolved via video games?
41. How will robots advance medical technology?
42. How has biology been altered by bioinformatics?

Science topics for middle school

43. Why do people behave differently in various contexts?
44. Do you think it’s appropriate for boys and girls to compete on the same sports team?
45. The impact of the internet on how we live
46. How is the brain impacted by sleep deprivation?
47. Should we allow our scientists to test medications on animals?
48. The consequences of smoking on the body
49. Can technology improve your intelligence?
50. What happened to amazing extinct animals?

Research papers can prove complicated to write and more so the conclusion section. The conclusion has to sum everything up and become as concise as possible. A properly constructed conclusion section should also enhance the significance of the contents already presented in the research paper. So how can you write a weighty research conclusion?

A research conclusion proves crucial in reminding your readers about the impact and strength of your arguments. You can also refocus your reader’s attention concerning your vital points besides supporting evidence regarding your position and arguments. Additionally, a conclusion can prove the basis for a research’s continuation, developing fresh ideas in resolving issues highlighted in the paper, besides providing new approaches, when it comes to a subject.

You can write a brilliant conclusion once you’ve comprehended the type of conclusion involved. It comes as either a summarizing conclusion, externalizing conclusion, or an editorial conclusion.

Steps in Writing Your Research Paper’s Conclusion

• Re-state the research topic. The initial step to consider when writing your research paper’s conclusion includes re-stating your subject. It should only entail a sentence and enumerate the importance of your subject. Further, you have to ensure that the conclusion proves concise and clear, besides stating crucial information.
• Re-state your paper’s thesis. The second step entails re-stating your paper’s thesis, and with this, you can accomplish it by revising the original thesis presented in the paper’s introduction. However, remember to word the thesis statement differs from the introduction’s wording.
• Summarize your research’s main points. The next step entails summarizing your research’s main points. It can prove helpful to re-read your paper and select relevant arguments and facts. Additionally, try and limit yourself to arguments and facts, and avoid not any other information. The purpose of the summary entails reminding your reader of the significance of the paper’s subject.
• Link the importance of the results. Try and present the significance of your argument’s main points. For instance, state the main points and discuss the impact of the topic in influencing an outcome. Similarly, you can present the study results or findings, which can help in emphasizing the study.
• Conclude your thought process by perhaps creating an action call or posing a concept that can provoke your readers to think further concerning your argument. Additionally, you can use the sentence in addressing any unanswered queries in your body paragraphs.
• Further, consider tips such as avoiding to start your concluding paragraph with a statement such as “in summary” or “in conclusion” as such statements pass as redundant. Also consider synthesizing your information through giving questions and providing answers, suggestions, results, or resolutions to the argument presented.

Conclusion

Conclusions often determine how strong you sign off on your research work, and an excellent one will live long in the reader’s minds. Therefore, consider the tips provided to ensure your work stands out.

Depending on which area you are studying, some rules have to abide by. And you have to meet specific requirements. These requirements allow the students to ask their lecturer if they do not understand anything about the research. The lecturer’s instructions are not for making life hard, but they help you understand what you are doing. You will have the ability to write your term paper with ease. In simple terms, rules simplify your work. Let us look at the different elements of the research paper. 

1. Title

When you write your titles, they must be precise, informative, and concise. It is a section that is very important because it tells the audience what you are going to discuss in your essay. Writing titles is one way in which you can introduce the thesis.

2. Introduction

It is the part where you, the writer, will get the reader’s attention by letting them know the subject of the paper. It will assist you in illustrating your narrations informing your readers about the argument.

For an introduction to look good, it must be captivating. One must not use very complex words when writing the introduction. Please be brief and concise. Use a language that most of your audience understands. Your introduction must bring out the problem, and it should also provide the readers with background knowledge. Good introductions must cover about ten percent of the paper. 

3. Thesis statement

Most term essays or papers require a thesis statement. One can put the thesis statement at the start of the introduction or the final part of the introduction. A good thesis statement relates to the paper in which it is in. Thesis statements help the reader to know which side the story in the term paper is leaning towards.

4. Body

The mistake that young writers commit is that they indicate the body section and title its body, then they jot down whatever they want to jot down. Students must put their work in a way that shows the thesis, and you must inform them of paragraphs even if you write down the methods you use to solve problems at any part of the paper. One can apply the use of sub-headings to ensure that there is a flow of content. Make sure that your write your headings.

5. Conclusion

Most of the term papers that people write use this part to summarize the term paper. If you get a problem when you are concluding your essay, you have to get back to your introduction to know what you will write at the conclusion.

A very crucial point to keep in mind is you must not introduce new things at the conclusion.

6. Summary

You also need to understand what the term paper is asking for. Knowing what the research paper is all about, then know how to explain how you are hiring to get an essay.

Importance of citation

Citations give credibility to the written paper. It adds a sense of sophistication and allows people to trust your content by including other credible sources. It allows the readers to do a fact-checking of things and areas they do not understand. 

Another major importance of citation is to protect you from plagiarism. Plagiarism is using other people’s work with their consent. When you cite a source, it gives recognition to the content owner, and you acknowledge that it is not your own. There are several online tools that teachers use to check for plagiarism, and without the proper citation, you might lose marks due to plagiarism. You might even end up facing lawsuits if you do not adhere to citations. 

How to properly use citations

There are several citation styles out there. The major ones applicable in the learning institution are the Chicago, Modern Language Association (MLA), and American Psychological Association style (APA). These different styles are used in different fields. 

• APA style

This citation style is mostly used in science, psychology, and education papers. It is essential in making references easy to read and comprehend.
For example, the author’s last name and the Year of publication (Pence, 2010).

• MLA style

The MLA citation style is most popular in Humanities papers. This method of citation is usually on a separate page.

• Chicago

This citation style is popular in fine arts, history, and business. They use in-text format using quotes. They have a similar structure to the APA style.

How to apply citations on your paper

You might know how to write a good citation in the proper format, but knowing how to use it effectively is another skill. You do not want a situation where you have several citations on your paper, but they are not pointing to any text, or the referred text does not fit in. You are likely to lose your reader if you do not place your citation properly.

• Set primary and secondary source

You should categorize your sources into primary and secondary sources. List those resources that you heavily depend on to the primary source list while the rest move to the secondary source. Reference the secondary sources are the end of the paragraph after you have established the information.

• Balance your citation and original ideas

The sources only come in to support your ideas. You should not have a scenario where you have more cited sources than your original ideas. In most cases, your teacher might term your paper as plagiarized if most of the content is from cited source. Strive to have minimal content from other sources add more of your content. 

• Pick good resources

The credibility of your work is essential. Also, the credibility of your sources speaks more to your work. You should find books and articles from trusted and well-known sources. Some good sources, for instance, websites, end with .org, .edu, and .gov.

• Paraphrase information

To avoid using many citations and foreign text, you can opt to paraphrase the quoted text. If you rearrange the sentence formation, it will no longer belong to other people, and you can freely use it in your paper. You will find yourself in situations where every critical text cannot fit in using quotes. Here is where you use your knowledge and skill and rephrase the sentences to suit your paper.

 Conclusion

Citation makes your paper of quality, more trusted, and easy to understand. Follow the above steps and have an easy time writing.

• Assignment 1: You write to discuss
• Assignment 2: You write to describe
• Assignment3: You write to narrate

You have to include the portfolio in the first draft of any of the above assignments. You can choose to either handwrite or type. Ensure that you use a dictionary where necessary and check your spellings.

The Length of Coursework

The discussion on the first draft should have details concerning the length. It should also state whether the material to get cut so that the writing can be effective. There is no prescription of either minimum or maximum words for the assignment. It is excellent to write around 500 to 800 words for each assignment. If you choose to pass 800 words, that will be up to you. There should never be a deduction of the marks if a student exceeds 800 words. For you to be on the safe side, do the right thing by writing around 500 to 800 words without writing less or more. If you write too many words, it can be hard for you to meet all the requirements and have fewer marks. To have the correct content and Style, you do not have to write a lot of things because you’ll confuse yourself.

The responsibilities of  Teachers

• Teachers should set assignments that meet all the requirements and do not surpass the learners’ abilities
• They should assess if the assignments are effective
• They should use a mark table to mark each student’s work out of the total stated marks. They should later add all the marks from the three assignments to come up with the exact points.

Incomplete Folders

The contents should get assessed using the essential table of descriptors to give marks for every assignment.

Plagiarism

It is an act of writing another person’s work as your own. It can happen in numerous ways. Such as:

• If you do not acknowledge quotations
• If you use phrases and sentences of authors without mentioning them
• Writing a point that is slightly different from a particular author
• If you spend your money to buy a project online and present it as your work
• Pasting work from the internet without acknowledgement
• Letting someone different right the work on behalf of the author

You have to ensure that your work is original because plagiarism can lead to many problems. It is not a good idea to copy someone else’s work. If you’re having problems writing, it is better to seek help. The consequences for plagiarism are severe, and teachers should not protect students who have such a mistake. To avoid plagiarism, you can check your work before submitting it so that you make the necessary corrections. For learners not to have plagiarism mistakes, it is suitable for teachers to get them in class. Teachers should not fail to check for plagiarism mistakes because if they do, students will continue to do the same, leading to other problems in the future. If you have any doubts about a particular assignment, take your time and not submit it immediately.

Structure

If you want your work to be excellent, both your structure and organization should be on point. For a paper to be successful, the overall structure is vital, and the paragraphs should also get arranged correctly so that each of them makes sense. The only way you can show confidence with your paper is by doing the right thing. The reader will only give your paper attention if you give him or her numerous reasons too. You need to think about the climaxes, the opening sentences, and also the endings. You have to balance each section of a paper so that it looks solid and original. Writing becomes easier when you know what you’re doing, and for you to be on the right path, your ideas have to be structured correctly.