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Medical Explorations Program Resources: Research Paper Guidelines

The following resources will be helpful in achieving the research component of the Medical Exploration Program. In addition to these resources, please stop by the reference desk for additional help with your research.

Review Paper Guidlelines

 

University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Medical Explorations Program
Guide to Writing a Review Paper 2015

 

What is A Review Paper?

  • A review paper is a comprehensive synthesis of results from other studies
  •   It should be a synthesis of findings from those studies
  • Goal of a review paper is to help readers make sense of all available information.

Research review papers focus on primary source

  • Original research reported in scientific journal
  • The quality of the review depends on how well you research the literature.

Appropriate uses of secondary information resources (textbooks or review journals or clinical databases like Up-To-Date). Appropriate use includes the following:

 

  • Overview of material-easier to understand
  • Use references for networking, author
  • Get keyword
  • Help devise outline.

These would not be included in your citations, since they are used only for “background” information

Formatting the Paper

General Information: You must turn in five (5) copies of your written report.

  • 10 pages of text
  •  Typed, single-spaced
  • 12 point serif type fonts (Times, Times New Roman, Palatino)
  • Margins 1.5" left, 1" top, 1" right, 1" bottom
  • Indent each new paragraph 0.25"

Title Page (see sample at end of this document)

 

  •  Center title about 1/3 down the in18-point font. Capitalize the first letter of each word except for articles (a, an, the),
  • conjunctions (and, but, for) and prepositions (in, on, to) less than five letters.
  • Center the names of the people in your group10 lines under the title in 12-point font
  • Center the date of submission date a double space below your names in 12-point font
  • Center the following phrase a triple space below the date: "a paper submitted to fulfill the requirements of University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Medical Explorations Program”

Pagination

  •  Number the pages consecutively, excluding the title page, which does not have a page number and  is not  counted as a page
  • Use only Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.)
  • Put the page numbers in the bottom right hand corner

Headings

  • Use sparingly
  • Make them informative and concise
  • Center headings
  • Triple space before the heading and double space after the heading
  • Use 12-point font, but bold the font

Using Numbers in Paper Text

  •  Spell out numbers less than 10
  • Do not begin a sentence with a numeral, even if it larger than 10
  • Always use numerals when reporting quantitative data with a unit: 15 km, 8 g, 5 ml

Tables and Figures

  • Each table and figure should be self-explanatory.
  • Tables and figures should be cited according to number, for example "as shown in Figure 3," or "the outcomes of the disease (Table 2)."

Use of Scientific Names

  •  Always italicized
  • Genus capitalized, species is not
  • Abbreviate genus name after the first reference: Querus alba becomes Q. alba

Subscripts and Superscripts

  • Use superscripts for degree measurements, ion charges, and mathematical expressions: 36oC, Ca++ or Ca+2, C+
  • Use subscripts for chemical compounds: CaCl2 Fe2(SO4)3

Writing the Paper

It is easier to write the paper if you start with the outline and begin filling in information. The basic outline for a review paper is shown below.

Title Page

  • Title should be specific, informative, concise
  •  See example at end of this document

Abstract

  • Short, concise summary of paper (200-250 words)
  • No references

Introduction

  •  Review the topic
  •  Importance and significance.
  • Background information, conflicting views, major lines of thought
  •  Statement of purpose
  • Document and reference sources

Body of text – May have subheading

  • Present details of work done by researchers on topic
  •  Describe important findings, techniques, methods, results, and conclusions
  • Develop and follow good topic sentences
  • Coherent, well-blended summation of all the work you could find that is important to your subject
  • Develop a pathway of thought that leads to conclusions
  • Document and reference sources

Conclusions

  •  Consolidate ideas, strengthen relationships between ideas, patterns, tie up loose ends
  • Significance of topic
  •  Make sure you conclude your paper
  • Do not introduce new data, results in this section

Perspective – What ”Person” should you write from

  •  Most scientific work is written in the objective third person, and in passive, past tense.
  • Avoid using pronouns ("I," "you," "she," "he," "it," "we," "you," "they." me," "you," "her," "him," "it," "us," "you," and "them."
  •  Facts and ideas are stated about procedures and results. Example: ”Research studies were performed….” ---- or ---- “it was observed that….”

 Documentation


References should be cited using the American Medical Association Style Guide http://www.lib.jmu.edu/citation/amaguide.pdf

You must include at least 10 citations, 5 of which must be journals. The others can be books and valid web sites.

 Citing Works in the Text

In the AMA style, references inside the text of a paper take the form of numbered citations. Only the number appears in the text itself; the reference preceded by the same number is included in a list at the end.

Numbering Citations

References are cited in the text by using of superscript numbers. Citations must be numbered consecutively, starting with 1, in the order in which they first appear in the text of your paper. A citation's number should be inserted in the text after any period or comma, but before any colon or semicolon.

 Example:

In previous studies, the effect on intraocular pressure appeared quickly10 and did not increase with continual dosing.

Examples of reference style:

1. Morrow DA, Scirica BM, Karwatowska-Prokopczuk E, et al; for the MERLIN-TIMI 36 Trial Investigators. Effects of ranolazine on recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes: the MERLIN-TIMI 36 randomized trial. JAMA. 2007;297(16):1775-1783.

2. Lynfield R, Ogunmodede F, Guerina NG. Toxoplasmosis. In: McMillan JA, Feigin RD, DeAngelis CD, Jones MD Jr, eds. Oski’s Pediatrics: Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006:1351-1362.

* Portions of text adapted from: Presbyterian College Biology Department, Clinton, SC and Simmons College, Boston, MA

 

SAMPLE TITLE PAGE:

 

 

 

Careers in Pediatric Medicine

Samuel Johnson, Demarcus Manning, Mike Pruszkowski, Maria Chavez, Carah Neal, Dominique Taylor

 

 

August 15, 2012

 

 

A paper submitted to fulfill the requirements of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Medical Explorations Program