Beginnings and Endings

1. Beginnings and Endings Sarah Prince, Writing Instructor Coordinator of Embedded Writing Support and Design Walden Writing Center

2. Session Overview • How to begin and end a paper • Introductions and conclusions • Why these elements matter • How to write effective beginnings and endings for your own work • Structure • Tips

3. Housekeeping • Muting • Questions • Tech trouble? http://support.citrixonline.com/en_US/GoToTraining • Recording: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/415.htm

5. Ways to Visualize the Introduction and Conclusion Body of your Paper

6. Beginnings What is the purpose of a introduction? • Attracts readers’ attention • Introduces the topic of the paper • Gives some comment about the topic • Thesis statement

7. Beginnings: Thesis Statement • Concise, specific, and arguable • Usually the last sentence in your introduction The most important sentence because it offers your central argument and purpose.

8. Beginnings: Thesis Statement • Your thesis should include answers to three key questions: WHAT, HOW, and WHY • WHAT—claim about topic • What is your specific claim? • HOW—the events, ideas, sources, etc. that you choose to prove your claim • How are you going to prove your claim? • WHY—the significance of your idea in terms of understanding your position as a whole (answers the dreaded “so what?” question) • Why is your claim significant?

9. Beginnings: Thesis Statement Poll Question: Which sentence best fits the definition of a thesis statement? • This paper will explore lesson planning • My purpose in this paper is to discuss lesson planning. • Using examples, I will show the necessity of lesson plans.

10. Beginnings: Structure

11. Beginnings: Structure Conflict is inevitable in a healthcare environment because of emotional, financial, and operational stressors (Vivar, 2006). However, conflict is both a positive and negative phenomenon that effective nurses navigate. By assessing conflict situations, nurses can develop insight, recognize strengths and limitations, and accept outside resources to manage such situations (Manion, 2005). The particular assessment best suited to nurse-doctor conflict is the PEPRS framework. Poll: Why does this introduction work?

12. Beginnings: Structure Why does this introduction work? • It flows from broad, to narrower, to narrowest. • It refers to the student’s assignment. • It has a clear thesis statement . • It has an appropriate level of detail.

13. Beginnings: Structure AVOID

14. Beginnings: Tips • Length Course paper: Usually one paragraph Longer, complex papers: Could be several paragraphs

15. Beginnings: Tips • Grammar and Voice: Use a formal academic voice. Let’s first discuss healthcare in America today. As you know, healthcare is a big problem in America today. Instead: Healthcare is a problem in America today because 40% are without insurance and therefore susceptible to untreated injury and disease.

16. Beginnings: Tips • Passive voice (no subject or “doer” of the action) In this paper, the problem with healthcare will be argued. Instead, use the active voice: In this paper, I will argue that the problem…

17. Beginnings: Tips • Anthropomorphism(human traits to inanimate objects): This paper will analyze… The literature review determined that… Instead, use “I”: I will analyze… Through the literature review, I determined…

18. Beginnings: Tips • Questions If 40% of Americans are uninsured, what do they do if they become sick? Why doesn’t the government do something about inflated health premiums? Though questions can “hook” the reader, in academic writing, avoid them in order to • Maintain an unbiased, formal tone • hook the reader with your evidence • express the problem in a straightforward way

19. Beginnings: Tips • Direct quotes “The great fault of the 21st century is the lack of access to healthcare for those of low socioeconomic means, leading to an increase in both preventable deaths and anxiety disorders” (Smith, 2010, p. 7). Instead, paraphrase: Many people in the 21st century have poor health because they do not have the monetary resources to access adequate healthcare (Smith, 2011).

20. Beginnings: Tips • Verb tense shifts • Use the future tense when explaining the paper: In this paper, I will analyze healthcare reform. • Use the past tense when describing the research: Douglas and Jones (2011) stated that, despite progress in healthcare reform, low-income communities will not see changes until the next decade. • Use the present tense when presenting something that is currently or always true: Millions of Americans lack health insurance due to increasing premiums and unemployment.

22. Endings After the body of your paper: Rather than just stopping, you will want to ease your reader into your final thoughts on your topic, otherwise known as a conclusion.

23. Endings Poll Question: What is the purpose of a conclusion? (Choose all that apply.) • To repeat all of the things you did in the paper. • To repeat your thesis statement. • To provide closure for the paper. • To introduce any ideas you didn’t get to include yet. • To remind the reader of your main ideas.

24. Endings Poll Question: What is the purpose of a conclusion? (Choose all that apply.) • To repeat all of the things you did in the paper. • To repeat your thesis statement. • To provide closure for the paper. • To introduce any ideas you didn’t get to include yet. • To remind the reader of your main ideas.

25. Endings What is the purpose of a conclusion? • Acts as a reminder of • Argument • Main points • Gives the big picture • Provides closure

26. Endings Create closure through • Structure • No new information • Avoiding the “blueprint” • Synthesis rather than summary

27. Endings Without a conclusion… …your readers may feel lost, confused, and unsure why they spent all that time reading your paper.

28. Endings: Structure

29. Endings: Tips • Length Course paper: Usually one paragraph Longer, complex papers: Could be several paragraphs • Use headings • Level 1 heading • Common headings: Conclusion, Summary, or Discussion

30. Endings: Tips • Have a similar tone to the paper • Word choice, scholarly language • Follow the same writing rules as an introduction • Avoiding anthropomorphism, passive voice, rhetorical questions, and incorrect verb tense

31. Endings: Tips No new information. New information includes • Direct quotes • Introduction of new sources Avoid “flip-the-page” syndrome

32. Endings: Tips So…what does work? Synthesis instead of summary • Include the main points of your paper • Put main points back together for your reader • Phrase argument in a different way

33. Endings: Tips Tie back to introduction and thesis • Reiterate overall argument • Why did you write this paper? • Why is this topic important? • Remind readers of how you proved that argument • Studies, theories, experience, data

34. Endings: The Future? Discuss future implications of research or topic Not new information • Should naturally build throughout your text • Reiterates the importance of your argument

35. Endings: Tips Just like an introduction, a conclusion should not be in a “blueprint” format. In this paper, I discussed how informatics is an important part of nursing. I included information from peer-reviewed sources and noted how informatics will impact my field and organization. I concluded with some of the trade-offs of implementing informatics.

36. Endings: Sample • Repetition of thesis statement • Repetition of main ideas • Suggestion for action/research Employing informatics in an organization may include frustration and pushback from healthcare staff, but using a system like CPOE is a necessity. In my organization, improved and consistent patient care was an early benefit, and scholars continue to note the long-term benefits of informatics. As CPOE becomes a future requirement for healthcare organizations, administrators should encourage its use and fund training to have a smooth, well-received implementation.

37. Introduction Conclusion

38. Questions Now: Use the Questions box onyour screen Later: writingsupport@waldenu.edu or editor@waldenu.edu