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MHST/NURS 611
Dissemination Strategies  

Delivery mode: Paced/home-study online

Credits: 3 - Applied Studies

Prerequisite: Completion of all other courses.

Centre: Centre for Nursing and Health Studies

Introduction

Health professionals possess a wealth of information and experience. In this course, students will learn to use a variety of dissemination strategies designed to share knowledge and experience. Students will write an article designed for scholarly publication, develop a poster presentation, and complete a lay audience presentation.

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Course Goals

To assist the student to be able to:

  1. Identify the requirements of refereed scholarly publication;
  2. Write an article suitable for a refereed scholarly publication;
  3. Develop a poster slide presentation;
  4. Write an article appropriate to a lay audience; and
  5. Identify additional dissemination opportunities.

This set of goals constitutes the initial direction of the course. As a participant in this course, you likely have questions of your own which may not be reflected in the initial goals. One of the first activities in this course is to articulate your questions and issues to the other participants so that we can work together to find ways of attending to them. In this way, the course becomes, at least in part, your own creation, since it is only through interacting, building on each other’s ideas and reflecting on your own experience that a course actually comes into existence.

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Course Materials

Textbook

Oermann, M. H. (2002). Writing for publication in nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott.

Online

  • Study Guide
  • Conference
  • Articles as indicated week by week

Special Course Features

The course includes Internet access to health-related websites around the world, participation in email, and computer conferencing with students from across the country. Students are expected to connect to an Internet Service Provider at their own expense.

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Course Structure

This is an asynchronous online course. There is no established time when you must log on.

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Course Outline

The course consists of 6 units:

Unit 1 - Orientation and introduction

Unit 2 - Identifying potential target journals

Unit 3 - Developing an article outline

Unit 4 - Writing the article

Unit 5 - Poster presentation

Unit 6 - Writing for a lay audience

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Assessment Structure

Assignment 1 (Due: Week 2) 5%
Assignment 2 (Due: Week 4) 10%
Assignment 3 (Due: Week 9) 30%
Assignment 4 (Due: Week 11) 20%
Assignment 5 (Due: Week 13) 20%
Assignment 6 (Due: Ongoing) 15%
Total 100%

Assignment 1 - Identification of target refereed journals, instruction for authors, and market analysis

  • Identify three journals where your article would be appropriate
  • Identify your target journal
  • Post the “Instructions for Authors” and a market analysis form for that journal.

Assignment 2 - Article outline

  • Develop a detailed outline in a form that corresponds to the “instructions for authors” for your target journal. The outline must be developed to third level headings.

Assignment 3 - Written article suitable for publication

  • Written according to target journal's “Instructions for authors”. Generally 3000-5000 words

Assignment 4 - Poster presentation

  • According to the guidelines for target conference (please attach). Maximum 20 pages 8.5 × 11.

Assignment 5 - Presentation for a lay audience

  • In appropriate format for dissemination strategy identified

Assignment 6 - Providing feedback/review

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Feedback on Written Work

Assignment 1: 5% of final mark

Identification of target journal, instructions for authors and market analysis

  • Target journal and instruction for authors posted? (1)
  • Does the topic match the target journal? (1)
  • Completion of market analysis form. (3)

Assignment 2: 10% of final mark

Article Outline

  • Outline reflects cohesion between points (4)
  • Outline reflects development of the original topic (2)
  • Outline is developed to third level headings (1)
  • Outline reflects instructions for authors of
    target journal (2)
  • Outline is free of mechanical errors (1)

Assignment 3: 30% of final mark

Written article suitable for publication

  1. Topic: (maximum 5 marks)
    1. Does the paper keep to the topic?
    2. Is there a clear definition of the central topic or issue
    3. Is the topic sufficiently narrowed or broadened such that it can be dealt with fully in the required length?
    4. Is there a clear rationale for analysing or discussing this topic?
    5. Is there a clear thesis or perspective on the topic: not just “what”, but “what about it”?
  2. Ideas (maximum 10 marks)
    1. Is there a good balance between ideas and evidence?
    2. Have you understood and applied the literature and the theories, or have you merely read and regurgitated them?
    3. Are you too general, too descriptive, too full of generalizations that can't be supported?
    4. Are your ideas cliched, or repetitious?
    5. Does the article show awareness of problematic or controversial elements; awareness of potential objections or alternate approaches?
    6. Does the argument made in the article lead logically and inevitably to your conclusion(s)?
  3. Organization and Structure (maximum 10 marks)
    1. Are there clearly defined sections in the article that correspond to the particular requirements of the target journal?
    2. Are headings used correctly?
    3. Does the introduction define the issue, state a rationale, and indicate a focus for your discussion/analysis?
    4. Does each paragraph in the article address a distinct idea, or contribute to the development of the idea of its section?
    5. Does the conclusion merely restate the topic or thesis, or does it offer a genuine conclusion?
    6. Does the paper as a whole, each section, each paragraph, and each sentence have unity (deals with one idea), coherence (moves smoothly and logically), and emphasis (important points strategically placed)?
    7. Is the abstract accurate, concise, self-contained, and readable?
  4. Expression (maximum 5 marks)
    1. Is the writing style concise, direct, and interesting?
    2. Is the tone appropriate: never emotional, grandstanding, or 'creative'?
    3. Is the tone appropriate to the target journal?
    4. Is there a good variety of sentence lengths and types?
    5. Is the diction appropriate: varied vocabulary; precision in word choice; clear and simple or over long (e.g., walk vs. achieve an ambulatory state)?
    6. Are there errors in mechanics: grammar, punctuation, usage, spelling?
    7. Is the citation, referencing, and formatting complete and accurate?

Assignment 4: 20% of final mark

Poster Presentation

  • Does the poster presentation accurately
    reflect the article? (7)
  • Is the poster presentation cohesive? (5)
  • Are there errors in mechanics: grammar, punctuation, usage, spelling? (5)
  • Does the poster presentation meet conference requirements? (3)

Assignment 5: 20% of final mark

Lay audience presentation

  • Does the lay audience presentation accurately reflect the article? (7)
  • Is the lay audience presentation cohesive? (5)
  • Are there errors in mechanics: grammar, punctuation, usage, spelling? (5)
  • Does the lay audience presentation meet audience requirements? (3)

Assignment 6: 15% of final mark

Providing feedback/review

  1. Quality of comments (Maximum 10 marks)
    1. Posts constructive review comments relevant to the presentation/article
    2. Contributes original thoughts and ideas
    3. Posts meaningful reviews in a timely manner
  2. Courtesy and Group Morale (Maximum 5 marks)
    1. Comments are provided in a positive tone
    2. Support and encouragement provided to colleagues
    3. Respectful of contributions of others.
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Last updated by G. Zahara
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