EBP Project Part 2 Paper Template-Outline
Title of Your Paper (Should Reflect the Topic and Be Identical to Title on Next Page)
Student Name no credentials
NSG 502: Advanced Nursing Research
Wilkes University, Passan School of Nursing
Instructor Name (title, first & last names)
Due Date
Title of Paper (Same as Title on Title Page)
Start all professional papers with an introduction. The heading is the title of the paper – Do not create a heading “Introduction”. The introductory paragraph should contain a mini-outline to tell the reader what your paper will be about. Include a thesis statement that tells the reader what you will discuss in your paper. The thesis statement identifies your main idea and provides a preview of the rest of your paper. A short paragraph or two should introduce the idea, create interest, and make the reader want to look more into the paper. The last sentence of your opening paragraph should contain a transitional sentence that moves the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper.
Background
Provide background information. This should be one or two paragraphs long and have references. History of the problem? What led up to it?
Significance
What is the current information on the topic? Why is it worthy of being researched? Why is this information important to nursing practice? What might happen if the problem is not solved?
Problem Statement
Provide a one-sentence problem statement. It could start as “The problem identified in this proposal is….”.
Purpose Statement
Provide a one-sentence statement indicating the purpose of the proposal. It could start as “The purpose of this proposal is…..”.
PICOT Question
This could start, with “The PICOT question is….”. Place (P) (I) (C) (O) (T) where they belong in the question.
Literature Review
Search Strategies
In the first paragraph describe how articles were selected—what databases were searched, keywords used, inclusion/exclusion criteria, etc. Identify the literature review matrix – this could be stated as “A literature review matrix table is provided in the appendix.” (The Literature Review Matrix is included at the end of the paper after the References page.)
Review
Paraphrase and summarize at least five of the ten articles reviewed in the Literature Review Matrix. At least one paragraph should be dedicated to each article. Recap important information of the sources while; re-organizing and reshuffling information that is relevant to the topic.
Synthesis
In the next paragraph (or two), synthesize the articles relevant to your proposal. Synthesis can sometimes provide a new interpretation of the material or combine new with old interpretations. How are these studies relevant to your topic? Do these studies have interventions that you will use? Why are they important to your topic?
Critical Appraisal
Strengths and Weaknesses
Compare and contrast articles regarding strengths and weaknesses. This section should provide proof of why the article is strong evidence for the PICOT. Also include where the research could be stronger – what is missing or could be better?
Knowledge Gained from Review
Indicate what was learned from the literature review. What information was included in the literature that you didn’t know or think about related to your PICOT?
Gaps in Knowledge
Indicate what knowledge deficits still exist on the topic. Many article will include a statement about where further research is necessary. Be as specific as possible.
Conclusion
Academic papers should include a conclusion paragraph that briefly summarizes what was discussed in the paper. The conclusion does not introduce new information. The conclusion should restate the main idea or thesis statement of the manuscript, summarize the main points of the manuscript, and leave the reader with an interesting final impression. Include a short summary of the paper thus far.
References
See APA resources on how to format references. Note that references begin on their own page, not on the last page of the body. The first line of each reference should be flush with the left margin (as is demonstrated here). Second, all other lines for each reference should be indented.
References should be double-spaced with no extra spaces between them.
Appendix
In APA style, the appendix appears after the References list. This is where you will insert your literature evidence table.