Internet-based
Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:
This course is divided into six (6) assignments and all assignments must adhere to the following requirements:
The assignments should be written using standard technical writing skills. This includes appropriate spelling, grammar, sentence structure, transitions, text flow, currency of knowledge, and scope of research.
When graded assignments are returned, they should be reviewed for corrections/changes prior to submission of the next section. Frequently, the same errors are made in multiple sections & this could be avoided by reviewing graded assignments in a timely fashion.
Assignment 1 – Research Question and Outline (3%) The student must continue with the topic/research question presented during RADS 3503 and the topic must be approved by the instructor.
This course only allows topics related to Radiologic Sciences (which emphasize the role of technologists), not papers related to clinical radiology (which emphasize the role of radiologists). For example, "Factors Contributing to Job Satisfaction for MRI Technologists" is acceptable, but "Treatment of Obstructive Bowel Syndrome" is not acceptable. Also for example, "Positions for Radiographic Demonstration of the Trauma Knee" is acceptable, but "Diagnosis of Cerebral Hemorrhage" is not acceptable. Topics cannot deal with subjects that are outside the scope of practice of the radiographer.
The outline should be based on published literature. Students will not develop their own surveys or conduct experiments to write this paper.
Students must complete the Research Question Approval Form, include a detailed outline of the paper, and include the reference list created in RADS 3503. The assignment must be submitted to the Assignment I Dropbox in Blackboard by the due date.
Assignment 2 – Title Page (2%) Title page – pages 23 and 24 of the 6th edition of the APA Manual describes the components of the title page. Use the sample title page available under Course Materials on the course homepage because it includes additional information not included on the APA version. It helps distinguish assignments submitted in different classes.
Assignment 3 – Reference List (25%) Refer to Chapters 6 and 7 in the APA Manual for an explanation on how to construct a reference list. Also, refer back to RADS 3503; you should have your graded reference list from that class. A minimum of eight (8) references to scholarly works is required.
NOTE ON REFERENCES: References should be from a variety of sources with the majority of references being from peer review journals or other scholarly works. Peer review journals use an editorial review board that evaluates the article for accuracy. Publications or magazines like RT Image, Advance, Decisions in Imaging Economics, and Applied Radiology are not peer-reviewed. Journals such as Radiologic Technology, Radiologic Science & Education, and Radiology Management are peer-reviewed. You should be able to look at the inside cover of a journal or on a web site to see if the journal has a review board. Most likely if you can not find anything about a review board then the journal is not peer reviewed. The journal homepage should also indicate if the journal is peer-reviewed.
Be sure to include the doi (preferred) or a working URL directly to each article.
Assignment 4 – Body (35%) The body of this paper is to include the following sections: introduction, methods, discussion, conclusion, and suggestions for future research. All sections except the Introduction should have a header – see APA Manual page 62 Section 3.03. This part of the paper must be no less than 5 pages and no more than 7 full length pages (Times New Roman, 12 pt font). Additionally, you are required to include your REVISED reference page. An expanded explanation of each component follows.
Introduction (includes background, purpose, research question, hypothesis) - pp. 27, 26 and 63 (APA Manual). This is where you develop the reason for the problem. Note: The word Introduction is not used as a header. The first section of the paper is assumed to be the Introduction section. Methods (how references were found and what resources were used). The APA Manual describes methodology for original research. Because no original research is allowed in this course, use the methods section to describe how information was obtained.
Example: Searches were conducted using the following key words: knee injuries, radiology, radiography, infection control, (etc. to include all the appropriate search terms). Academic First Search, ERIC, EbscoHost were the primary databases used and were accessed through the Midwestern State University Library.
Discussion - pp. 35-36 (APA Manual). Compare the literature with the approved research question. This is where all the literature is pulled together so that the reader doesn’t have to read each separate source. The writer’s job for this section is to enlighten the reader by synthesizing the literature and reporting on it. For example one can formulate thoughts based on the literature, but a personal opinion is not appropriate in a research literature review. The writer is reporting on what was found; therefore, it must be supported with reference citations. Do not use personal pronouns such as "I found this…" or "we see this …" For example if this were written:
Firms must take the initiative in retaining gifted and competent employees to effectively deal with this expected predicament. Proactive exploring is the catalyst for discovering various methods that could improve the retention rate of radiologic technologists and provide direction for organizations looking to implement and maintain a successful employee retention program.
While this may be true, it must be backed by research so here is how it might have been rewritten:
During this literature review, a common theme was evident among many of the authors (Ackerman, 2000; Bated, 2003; Devlin, 2000; Myers, 2006; & Zuckerman, 2007) that organizations must take the initiative in retaining gifted and competent employees. It appears that proactive exploring is the catalyst for discovering various methods that could improve the retention rate of radiologic technologists and provide direction for organizations looking to implement and maintain a successful employee retention program. For example, Veale' (2008) said, "Passive attitudes towards employee retention are no longer effective. Healthcare organizations are bleeding to death by ignoring the loss of talent" (p. 45). It seems then that the answer to the question of how to keep talent is to contemplate, renovate, innovate, and create new best practices to achieve institutional goals and thereby add to the existing body of knowledge on radiographer retention. Watts (2005) and Johnston (2007) support these notions by strongly encouraging healthcare organizations to work with employees instead of against them and to actively engage employees in the development of best practices for retention.
Conclusion – See the sample paper under Course Materials on the course home page. This is where you remind readers of the purpose, what was discovered, and if the findings were in line with the research question. Remember, this section should be no longer than 1 page.
Suggestions for future research - Explain where the literature was lacking and possible future research studies.
Appendices (if needed – NOT RECOMMENDED) - Place any graphics, tables, etc. after the references.
Additionally, you are required to include your REVISED reference page!
Assignment 5 – Abstract (5%) See page 25, 26 and 229 in the APA Manual. The abstract should be no more than 120 words. Explain what the focus of the paper is and a little bit about the literature. Sell your paper here. Write something that is going to make people want to read this. The abstract is essentially a snapshot of the entire paper; it is what hooks people and convinces them to continue reading. Write the abstract after you complete the paper.
Assignment 6 – Final Paper (30%) This research paper is to be a substantial manuscript (5-7 full length pages for the body). The length of the body of the paper is in addition to the title page, abstract, appendices, and reference list. The paper MUST reflect baccalaureate level effort and MUST incorporate the suggestions for revision provided by the instructor for assignments #1 - #5. It should demonstrate the student's ability to gather and discriminate pertinent resources, synthesize information from a variety of sources, apply new information to a topic, and correctly use the APA Reference Style.
Assignment Weight
Research Question & Outline 3%Title Page 2%Reference List 25%Body of Paper 35%Abstract 5%Final Paper 30%
Grade Scale
A = 100 – 90B = 89 – 80C = 79 – 70D = 69 – 60F = Below 60
All assignments must adhere to the following requirements:
Students are required to submit all assignments in the appropriate assignment drop box in Blackboard. Do not email or fax assignments unless told specifically to do so by your instructor. Do not wait until the last minute to submit in case you have technical difficulties. If you have difficulties submitting any assignments, contact your instructor immediately so that problems can be resolved by the deadline. Technical difficulties need to be addressed through the Blackboard help link.
Assignments must be submitted via the Blackboard Assignments page by the date & time published in the course Calendar; late submission will result in a 10% penalty. Submissions after the cut-off date & time will NOT be accepted & a grade of zero (0) will be assessed.
Because this is an online course, there are no mandatory class sessions. Students should communicate with the instructor on a regular basis. There will be a voluntary help session held at MSU during the semester. See the course calendar for date, time & location.
Course Communication:
Contact information for the instructor is listed at the beginning of this syllabus. Email is the preferred mode of communication. Communication from the instructor to the student will be through the student’s Midwestern state University e-mail account. If students have not established an account, students should do so as soon as possible by going to: http://infosys.mwsu.edu/email.asp
The instructor will respond or at least acknowledge email messages from students within a maximum of five (5) business days when MSU is in session. Beyond standard university holidays and breaks, the instructor will notify students of any extended periods of time when email contact is not practical (professional meetings, etc). If the instructor has not responded to an email within 5 days, the student should either email or call the instructor. Students will also find information regarding deadlines and other important course related material in the Course Calendar located on the home page. Open the calendar and click on the date to open dialog boxes.
Administrative Process:
Unresolved issues related to this course should be first addressed between the student and the course instructor. If there is no resolution, students must follow this sequence:
Department Chair – Dr. Donna Wright (940-397-4615)College Dean – Dr. Susan Sportsman (940-397-4594)Dean of Students – Dail Neely (940-397-6273)