II. GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PAPER

A paper on an ethical topic in Health Care will be required to complete the course in lieu of final exam. It is important to remember that this is a course in ETHICS and that the paper must discuss an ethical dilemma. Legal (Jurisprudence) issues may be discussed but should not dominate the discussion.  When appropriate you may wish to compare and contrast the legal issues and offer an ethical solution to the dilemma, which might not agree with the law. In addition, the “science” discussion of a topic should not dominate; it should support the ethical discussion.  If you wish to explore the ethical dimensions of an issue that you have already encountered in health care, please feel free to do so. You have a great deal of latitude in your choice of topics as long as you are presenting an ethical issue in the health care setting. The paper should demonstrate a familiarity with and mastery of the principles of ethics learned in the course and gleaned from your readings. Your references should reflect scholarly (peer reviewed) research in technical journals and books.

USING REFERENCES

Each time you use material that is not your own, a parenthetical citation should be used. If you use material that is not your own, without giving credit, you are committing plagiarism, and are subject to the rules and regulations of the University. The citation should include the page number and author name where the material occurs, not just a reference to the book or article where the material is located. If you are unsure of how to reference materials, see your small group leader for assistance.

FORMAL OUTLINE

A one page formal outline is to be given to your small group leader on February 13^th, 2002. This outline may be written in either phrases, often called a topic outline or in sentences, often referred to as sentence outline. The purpose is to provide, in detail, the ideas and structure of your research paper. A guideline for the outline content is in the evaluation criteria. Familiarizing yourself with the criteria for evaluation will help to ensure a successful paper.

FORMAT FOR RESEARCH PAPER 

1. The papers must be well organized and logical. Papers should be proofread, spell-checked, and grammatically correct. Use complete sentences. It is a good idea to have someone else read your paper in advance to catch any errors you miss. 

2. No more than two references from a single source may be cited.

3. There must be a minimum of five different scholarly references. These five references must be current, as of 1995 or later. If you use older references you must add a current reference too. Use of APA Style for format is expected.

 Examples:

Journal article

Smith, D.A. (1993). In search of the typical shoes.  American Journal of Shoes, 48, 574-576.

Books:

(Five spaces) Smith, J.A. & Smith, S.M. (1993).How to buy the perfect shoes (3^rd ed.).  Washington, DC: The Book Co.

Web references

(Five spaces) Author, I. (date). Title of article. Name of Periodical [On-line], xx. Available: specify path

Online abstract:

(Five spaces) Smith, Mr. (1992). The tip of the iceberg: is the journey to Alaska safe? [On-line].  Traveling Salesman, 20, 715-726. Abstract from: DIALOG File: TRAVEL Item: 80-16351

4. The title page must include in the upper left corner your name, date, college/school, small group leader, small group #, your ID number, and the paper title. Without this, your final grade cannot be entered. Number your pages and put your last name and ID on each page in the bottom right corner.

5. This paper is to be no less than 8 and no more than 15 typed double-spaced pages in length, not including the reference list and cover page. All paper submissions must use a font size of 12 pitch in Times New Roman or similar font. The research paper must be stapled in the left corner. Do not use the plastic covers, or any other covers.

6. Print two copies of the final paper. The paper is due Wednesday, April 10, 2002.  Both copies of the paper should be turned in to the Health Care Ethics Office, Room 1322 S/R.  Keep an extra copy for yourself! There are no exceptions to this process!!

 EVALUATION

Your research paper will be evaluated in terms of your knowledge of the specific ideas you are analyzing, your ability to interpret these ideas, your ability to critically analyze your ideas, your ability to insightfully draw out assumed relationships between thought and action, and finally your skill in clearly and concisely organizing and expressing your ideas. Your ethical analysis of the issue should demonstrate a creative, thoughtful, analytic, logical approach to the issue. Your grade will be determined on these criteria and not on the basis of your agreement with the views of faculty members.

 EVALUATION CRITERIA

75% Content, which includes: 

10% Statement of Problem 

15% Discussion of Problem

25% Ethical Dilemmas Identified and Discussed

15% Proposed Resolution

10% Personal Perspective

and the remaining 25% includes:

10% References (2 points for each reference, with a maximum of 10 points).  

While there is no maximum requirement, the minimum requirement is 5 references. Appropriate use of citations is essential. Consult a reference manual for specific information. 


 

5% Use of APA format or equivalent.  

10% Use of standard English, syntax, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, at least 8 pages in length and double-spaced. 

_____ 
Total =100%  

 GENERAL INFORMATION

Your mentor for your paper is your small group leader, but you should feel free to call upon any of the faculty for help. Literature searches can be done in the health sciences library. The reference librarian can assist you.

 CONCLUSION

Ethical issues are not easily resolved. The final assignment is intended to help you examine an issue in detail. There are few exercises that are more useful, or more frustrating, than attempting to put in writing what one thinks is the best solution to an ethical dilemma. By doing this you will gain insight into how to examine ethical issues and the tools necessary for examination that will serve you when you confront ethical issues in your health care career.

You are cautioned to be mindful of the penalties of plagiarism and the failure to do your own, independent work in an academic environment. The faculty reviews papers for many indicators including, duplicate copies and professionally purchased documents. Do not jeopardize your career by resorting to unnecessary short cuts. Refer to the “Academic Code of Conduct” published in the H-Book and the Student Reference Manual for further detail regarding University policy on plagiarism.