Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research

Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research

Walden University Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research-Step-By-Step Guide

 

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University  Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

 

How to Research and Prepare for Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research                   

 

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research   depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

 

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

 

How to Write the Introduction for Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research                   

The introduction for the Walden University Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research  is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

 

How to Write the Body for Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research                   

 

After the introduction, move into the main part of the Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research   assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

 

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

 

How to Write the Conclusion for Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research                   

 

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

 

How to Format the References List for Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research                   

 

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Our team of experienced writers is well-versed in academic writing and familiar with the specific requirements of the Evidence-Based Project, Part 3: Critical Appraisal of Research assignment. We can provide you with personalized support, ensuring your assignment is well-researched, properly formatted, and thoroughly edited. Get a feel of the quality we guarantee – ORDER NOW. 

 

Heart failure (HF), especially among the elderly patients who are 65 years and above, is a complex chronic condition that contributes to increasing cost of healthcare. Patients with the condition have a high incidence of hospital readmission within 30 days after discharge than any other condition. The disease is a leading cause of hospital admissions among the elderly patients (Al-Tamimi et al., 2018). The purpose of this critical appraisal paper is to identify best practices that emerges from the researched and reviewed literature comprising of four articles on the kind of interventions that nurses can have to reduce the prevalence of readmissions of patients with heart failure within 30 days after discharge.

Part 3A: Critical Appraisal of Research: Evaluation Table

 

Full APA formatted citation of selected article.	Article #1	Article #2	Article #3	Article #4
	Awoke, M., Baptiste, D., Davidson, P., Roberts, A., & Dennison-Himmelfarb, C. (2019). A quasi-experimental study examining a nurse-led education program to improve knowledge, self-care, and reduce readmission for individuals with heart failure. Contemporary Nurse, 55(1), 15–26. DOI:  10.1080/10376178.2019.1568198	Breathitt, K., Maffett, S., Foraker, R. E., Sturdivant, R., Moon, K., Hasan, A., Abraham, T. W. (2018). Pilot randomized controlled trial to reduce readmission for heart failure using novel tablet and nurse practitioner education. The American Journal of Medicine, 131(8) 8, 974–978.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.02.017	Clarkson, J. N., Schaffer, S., & Clarkson, J. J. (2017). The effect of an inter-professional heart failure education program on hospital readmissions. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 39(2), 78–84. DOI: 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000027	Rice, H., Say, R., & Betihavas, V. (2018). The effect of nurse-led education on hospitalization, readmission, quality of life and cost in adults with heart failure: A systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling, 101(3), 363–374. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.10.002.
Evidence Level * (I, II, or III)	Level II is a quasi-experimental study.	Level I since it is a randomized control trial.	Level IV since the study constitutes evidence from well-designed case control trials	Level I-systematic review to show the effects of nurse education to reduce hospitalizations and readmissions rate for individuals with heart failure.
Conceptual Framework   Describe the theoretical basis for the study (If there is not one mentioned in the article, say that here).**	The study’s conceptual framework is that nurse-led heart failure hospital education enhances knowledge, self-care behaviors and reduce 30-day readmissions.	The article asserts that no standardized heart failure education programs exist. Therefore, the study’s framework is to show if using a novel tablet application to nurse practitioner education is better than NP education alone.	The conceptual model is that an education-based strategy decreases hospital readmissions for heart failure patients within 30 days of discharge.	The conceptual model is that having nurse led patient education sessions can improve quality of life, reduce readmission rates and healthcare costs among adults with heart failure living independently in community setting.
Design/Method   Describe the design and how the study was carried out (In detail, including inclusion/exclusion criteria).	The study uses a quasi-experimental design with pre and post-tests on a convenient samples at two cardiac units in a large urban facility in the United States	The study used randomized control trial where patients were grouped in treatment using nurse education and tablet application and the second group was control comprising of NP education only.	The authors conduct a retrospective case-control to compare the readmission rates of heart failure patients attending heart failure university (HFU) and those getting standard education	A systematic review of randomized control trials. The authors use search terms as inclusion criteria that include nurse education, heart failure, hospitalization and readmissions and economic burden and quality of life. The criteria also entails using databases like PubMed, CINAHL and Google Scholar based on the terms.
Sample/Setting   The number and characteristics of patients, attrition rate, etc.	The sample comprised of 29 persons diagnosed with heart failure in the two cardiac units in a large urban setting.	The sample consisted o f two groups: where the treatment group had 60 patients. The control group had 66 patients.	The study had a sample of 106 participants as receiving the intervention while 104 did not receive the education (HFU). The setting was a large private hospital in Florida.	The authors conducted a systematic review using different databases and terms in different patient settings, especially community setting.
Major Variables Studied   List and define dependent and independent variables	The major variables in the study included knowledge among patients, self-care maintenance practices and self-care management with seven days and 30 days. The dependent variables include the rate of readmissions, number of patients, and duration. The independent variables include the variations in self-care management and self-care maintenance.	The main variable studied included trends and rates of readmissions within a 30-day period. The dependent variableincludes treatment interventions while the independent variable was rates of readmissions. They researchers also focused on levels of satisfaction among patients; both control and treatment group.	The variables in the study include effects of HFU on patients who received the intervention and functional disability for those who did not get the education. The independent variable was the 30-day readmission rate.	No major variables are included in the systematic review. However, one-on-one patient education session was the main variable and its effects on quality of life, rates of readmissions and healthcare costs among adults with heart failure in community settings.
Measurement   Identify primary statistics used to answer clinical questions (You need to list the actual tests done).	The authors in the study used pre-tests and post-tests to measure different outcomes of the study. The authors measured level of self-care confidence at 30 days as a post test to determine the effects of nurse-led educational intervention. Post-discharge follow-up was measured after 90 days.	The primary statistics used in answering clinical questions included the rate of treatment and control group’s readmissions, and level of satisfaction after 30 day s.	The main statistics applied to answer clinical questions included readmission rates, a reduction in costs and enhancing the quality of care for HF patients.	The study does not use tests since it is a systematic review of existing research studies on the topic.
Data Analysis Statistical or Qualitative findings   (You need to enter the actual numbers determined by the statistical tests or qualitative data).	Qualitative findings show a statistic significant improvement in 30-day readmissions of (P ≥ .05).	Qualitative findings show that the readmission rates trended lower but were not statistically significant at 13.2% and 26.7% respectively. These representing (p=0.08).	The qualitative results showed a positive interaction between patients who received HFU and reduced readmission rates. (χ [1, N = 106] = 5.68, p = .02).	Data analysis from the selected articles shows qualitatively that nurse-led patient education can help better the quality of life among HF patients, reduces the cost of healthcare and lower incidences of readmissions among heart failure patients.
Findings and Recommendations   General findings and recommendations of the research	The findings show the significance of creating patient education programs that focus on enhancing knowledge and self-care behaviors for heart failure patients. The study recommends the unique role that nurses play in implementation of such programs to enhance health outcome. The authors recommend the integration of these interventions in all care settings.	The findings show that not significant reduction is associated with NP education plus using tablet in reducing the 30-day readmission rates compared to NP education alone. However, there was a positive trend. The authors assert that patient satisfaction levels increased with heart failure explanations improving by using the intervention. There is need for a larger research to determine the effect of the intervention.	The findings show the significance of inter-professional educational-based disease management approaches targeted at the HF patients.   The study recommends increased role play among nurses to enhance adherence to treatment protocols to lower rates of readmissions.	The general findings from the systematic review show that nurse-led patient education for individuals with HF enhances quality of life and lowers hospital admissions and readmissions.
Appraisal and Study Quality     Describe the general worth of this research to practice.   What are the strengths and limitations of study?   What are the risks associated with implementation of the suggested practices or processes detailed in the research?   What is the feasibility of use in your practice?	The research is worth since it demonstrates the unique role that nurses can play to enhance interventions in addressing heart failure problems among the population. The strengths of this study include its use of pre and post-test aspects, study settings which are cardiac units and effective follow-up of up to 90 days after discharge. A key limitation is the use of a small sample size of 29 patients only. The implementation of the suggested practice in the study faces risks like effective inter-professional collaboration and acceptance among providers. The feasibility of using the recommendations is high due to the benefits they will offer in reducing readmissions.	The research is worth to practice as it shows that nurses can enhance patient education on heart failure using tablet alongside nurse education. The study can enhance provision of patient education by nurses in practice. Key strengths of the study include its inclusion criteria and recommendations based on the findings. However, a core limitation is the study sample and setting. The risks linked to the implementation of the recommendations include potential violation of patient privacy, and need for training. It could also increase nurses’ workload. The feasibility is low because of the uncertain findings as the authors say that no significant association exists between the intervention and a reduction in heart failure patients’ readmissions.	The study i s worth for nurses to integrate education to reduce readmissions among HF patients. The strengths of the study include its focus on HF population in a large facility, use of sufficient sample to show the effects of education, and increased need for providers to focus on inter-professional collaborations. However, the limitation is its sampl e size that may not replicate different patient situations. No risks are associated with implementing the suggested interventions since inter-professional approaches are essential in care provision. The feasibility of implementing these suggestions in my practice is high because of the benefits it provides to mitigate readmissions am ong HF patients within 30 days.	The study is worth for nurse practice since it shows that interventions can lower susceptibility to HF and improve the quality of life. Systematic reviews offer best evidence as they obtain findings from different studies. The only limitation of this study is its effective application in clinical setting since it integrates different outcomes from various researches. No risks exist in implementing the interventions since they are based on evidence. The feasibility of using the interventions is high due to their ease of implementation in different settings.
Key findings	The key findings from the study include incorporation of nurses in patient education, implementation of education programs to reduce heart failure readmissions, and importance of self-care management and education.	The study’s key findings show that including certain interventions can enhance patient satisfaction with physician’s explanations about heart failure. The study also shows the need to investigate the effects of using tablets alongside nurse education to improve adherence to treatment protocols and reduce readmissions for heart failure.	Key finding from the study is that nurse-led inter-professional approaches are essential in enhancing patient education to prevent readmissions among heart failure patients.	Key findings show that nurse-led education can happen using diverse approaches and influence the rate of readmissions and hospitalization.
Outcomes	The outcomes from the study shows that nurses have a unique position to enhance self-care and nurse-led interventions are essential to reduce readmission rates among heart failure patients.	The study outcomes are categorical that nurse-led interventions help reduce rates of readmissions for heart failure patients within 30 days after discharge.	The outcomes from this article show that nurses should create effective interventions that help enhance care provision and ensure that patients with heart failure receive the best care.	The outcomes from the study illustrate the critical role that research interventions play in enhancing patient care and quality of life.
General Notes/Comments	The article provides sufficient evidence based on the level for effective interventions among nurses and other providers in different settings.	The study offers effective evidence to demonstrate that not all nurse-led interventions lead to reduce readmissions of heart failure patients in different care settings.	The article implores providers to focus on educational-based disease management approaches to help enhance the quality of life for heart failure patients.	The study encourages nurses to create interventions to educate HF patients on self-care management and maintenance to reduce the rate of readmissions upon discharge.

 

Part 3B: Critical Appraisal of Research

 

The reviewed literature comprises of four articles on the selected topic of heart failure among patients aged 65 years and above and the use of nurse-led educational interventions to reduce the surging prevalence. Studies consistently show that the main cause of these readmissions within 30 days after discharge is non-compliance to treatment protocols and self-management care. The provision of nurse-led multidisciplinary education can help reduce the prevalence and this emerges as the best practice based on the reviewed four articles. The first article by Awoke et al. (2019) is a quasi-experimental study that evaluates the impact of nurse-led education program to improve knowledge, and self-care management with the aim of reducing the rate of readmissions for individuals with heart failure.

The second article by Breathitt et al. (2018) is a randomized controlled trial that leverages use of tablets and nurse practitioner education to reduce the rate of readmission for patients with heart failure condition. These two articles provide level one and two evidence, implying that the best practice they recommend works in different settings and has proof of efficacy. The two articles are categorical that using nurse-led interventions alongside others can help patients with heart failure improve their self-care and compliance to treatment interventions, especially at home once discharged from hospitals.

Nurses play a critical role in management of diseases and patient care. These providers are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that patients are free from the risk of getting readmissions upon discharge through effective compliance with treatment interventions (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2018). Nurse-led self-care management education and practices enhance information distribution to patients and their families, ensuring that patients follow the suggested or recommended treatment interventions.

The article by Clarkson et al. (2017) focuses on the impact of an inter-professional heart failure education program to mitigate heart failure readmissions. This article supports the need for a nurse-led education program through the inter-professional team to enhance adherence to treatment protocols and self-care management. The implication is that effective self-care management happens when nurses are involved since they are patient advocates, interact more with the patients than any other health professional, and are based placed to understand their needs.

The study by Rice et al. (2018) also emphasizes the role of nurse-led education to reduce hospital readmission and quality of life and lower the cost among adults with heart failure. The systematic review presents the best evidence to demonstrate the significant role that nurses play in mitigating readmissions and enhancing the quality of life for patients with heart failure condition. These articles identify a hands-on nurse-led education program through increased interactions with patients and provision of materials that allow patients to adhere to the treatment protocols and recommendations as offered by their providers.

Conclusion

Conclusively, better nurse-led interventions are a core aspect of managing heart failure and reducing readmissions. The reviewed articles show that nurse have a critical role to enhance patient education and better outcomes in heart failure condition. Their efforts improve self-care and reduce susceptibility to readmissions thus lowering the overall cost of care burden on patients, their families and the healthcare system.

 

References

Al-Tamimi, M. A. A., Gillani, S. W., Abd Alhakam, M. E., & Sam, K. G. (2021). Factors

Associated With Hospital Readmission of Heart Failure Patients. Frontiers in pharmacology, 2726.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.732760

Awoke, M., Baptiste, D., Davidson, P., Roberts, A., & Dennison-Himmelfarb, C. (2019). A

quasi-experimental study examining a nurse-led education program to improve knowledge, self-care, and reduce readmission for individuals with heart failure. Contemporary Nurse, 55(1), 15–26. doi: 10.1080/10376178.2019.1568198

Breathitt, K., Maffett, S., Foraker, R. E., Sturdivant, R., Moon, K., Hasan, A., Abraham,

978. W. (2018). Pilot randomized controlled trial to reduce readmission for heart failure using novel tablet and nurse practitioner education. The American Journal of Medicine, 131(8) 8, 974–978.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.02.017

Clarkson, J. N., Schaffer, S., & Clarkson, J. J. (2017). The effect of an inter-professional heart

failure education program on hospital readmissions. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 39(2), 78–84. DOI: 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000027

Melnyk, B. M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare:

            A guide to best practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

Rice, H., Say, R., & Betihavas, V. (2018). The effect of nurse-led education on hospitalization,

readmission, quality of life and cost in adults with heart failure: A systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling, 101(3), 363–374. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.10.002.

• Grid View

		Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor
Main Posting		45 (45%) – 50 (50%) Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.   Supported by at least three current, credible sources.   Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	40 (40%) – 44 (44%) Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.   At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth.   Supported by at least three credible sources.   Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	35 (35%) – 39 (39%) Responds to some of the discussion question(s).   One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed.   Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.   Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.   Post is cited with two credible sources.   Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors.   Contains some APA formatting errors.	0 (0%) – 34 (34%) Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately.   Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria.   Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.   Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.   Contains only one or no credible sources.   Not written clearly or concisely.   Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.   Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness		10 (10%) – 10 (10%) Posts main post by day 3.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not post by day 3.
First Response		17 (17%) – 18 (18%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.   Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.   Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.   Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.   Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.   Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.   Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	15 (15%) – 16 (16%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.   Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.   Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.   Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.   Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	13 (13%) – 14 (14%) Response is on topic and may have some depth.   Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.   Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.   Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 12 (12%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.   Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.   Responses to faculty questions are missing.   No credible sources are cited.
Second Response		16 (16%) – 17 (17%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.   Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.   Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.   Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.   Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.   Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.   Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	14 (14%) – 15 (15%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.   Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.   Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.   Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.   Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	12 (12%) – 13 (13%) Response is on topic and may have some depth.   Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.   Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.   Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 11 (11%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.   Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.   Responses to faculty questions are missing.   No credible sources are cited.
Participation		5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100

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Lopes Write Policy

For assignments that need to be submitted to Lopes Write, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.

Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.

Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?

Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.

Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.

If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.

I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.

As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:

Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.

Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

• Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
• There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
• Include in-text citations in your response
• Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
• Follow APA-7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

• A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
• Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
• Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
• Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
• Follow APA 7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
• Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
• Here are some helpful links
• Student paper example
• Citing Sources
• The Writing Center is a great resource