Citation Use and When to Cite

As APA formatting indicates,  if you have read about  a concept repeatedly in your reading, that concept would be considered common information and would not need citing.  If the information is generated from a research study, or a theory developed, then a citation would be needed. For example, the theory of caring is made up of  both western and eastern traditions in health care (Watson, 1995).  Nursing care requires a nursing license obtained upon successful completion of the Nursing Certification and License Examination (NCLEX).  The sentence referring to specifics of Jean Watson's theory requires citation and corresponding reference.  The sentence regarding the NCLEX for nursing license is considered common knowledge.  Although, when in doubt, cite ~smile.

Dr. Maggie

Reference:

Watson, J. (1995).  Nursing human science and human care: A theory of nursing. Sudbury, MA: Jones and           
       Barlett

Bookmarking Pages in APA Manual and Other Texts

One thing you can do to make life easier, is to purchase a bunch of small sticky note tabs.  Every time you  have to look up something new,   write on the end of the small sticky note tab the topic and "book mark" that page with the tab, such that you can easily find the page   needed in the future.

A well “bookmarked” APA manual has tabs on the pages that tell you how headings are done, how references are done, how to cite books, articles, and websites, how to correctly set up figures and appendices etc. 

Dr. Maggie

Quotes in Graduate Nursing Program writing: Avoid Them

The best way to take information from a reference and write about it is to write like you were explaining the ideas and information to a non-nurse.  This way the words are your own (you still need to cite), and you will avoid unoriginal work. At the graduate nursing level, we are looking for your own thoughts and ideas.

DO NOT USE THE COPY PASTE function ever in a paper, as font and paragraph spacing and formatting will be damaged.  Stick to retyping, as this will help you to paraphrase Also. If you must use a quote-- in the text prior to the quote, tell why the quote is being used.

Dr. Maggie

Analysis in Graduate Nursing Program Writing

Nurses are very good at documenting facts. The key with graduate nursing program writing is to Analyze those facts. One of the most common errors in scholarly writing is what I call "information dump".  Nurses write all sorts of information and then forget to analyze that information in their papers.  

Analysis of information consists of describing why the information is significant to the paper's purpose, or significant to the main point of the paragraph.  Analysis of information includes comparing similarities and contrasting differences of the information in the current paragraph with information presented earlier in the paper.  Analysis of information includes whether the information is  reliable, and valid (incorporating if the information is based on a well designed study method, or based on credibility of the source).  Analysis of information describes the type of information--, is the information from a scholarly source or an editorial which is an opinion. (by the way Wikipedia is NOT a scholarly source so never cite).  Opinions are OK as sources- as long as from an expert in the field. Analysis of information describes the advantages and disadvantages of that information in relationship to the overall paper’s topic , if appropriate.

The analysis sentences of a scholarly paper, add breadth and depth to the paper’s content (and length).  Faculty want to read not only about the information, but what that information means to the learning of the student writing or why the information is of significance.  Do not ever assume the faculty member knows that you know something, write out the rationale for using the information where ever you can.
Remember, if you can’t think of an Analysis sentence use a place holder in your paper and come back during editing to that place to add the Analysis.

Dr. Maggie