What are academic sources?

Writing academic papers require you to have a topic. Sometimes, the teacher can give you a complex topic you know nothing about. However, you may get the freedom to choose the topic that interests you. Whichever the case, you cannot get all the ideas and concepts from your head and write them down to bring out a meaningful paper. So, where do you get the information? You will need to check related books, websites, articles, and related materials trying to find information related to your topic. These websites, articles, and books are known as academic sources. Let us highlight academic sources examples below for a better understanding.

Types of academic sources

While researching, you can use the following list of academic sources to help you through your research process.

1. Government documents

The government has different departments specialized in different matters. These government reports publish useful statistics, reports, data, consumer information, and such information. When collecting data during the research, such sources can be helpful in many ways.

2. Theses & dissertations

Pioneer students had already written academic papers like dissertations and theses before they graduated. These papers are usually written under the supervision of a professional and reviewed by an academic panel. Once approved, they are then considered as referred publications, and other students can refer to such sources when doing their research.

3. Scholarly publications – journals

These are articles written by professionals in a specific field. These articles report already done case studies or original research. Most of these articles are usually reviewed by other experts before being published; hence they are known as refereed or peer-reviewed. Such as article is a top credible source a student can use in academic writing because:

• They are written by professionals
• They have a bibliography and well-cited
• They use technical or scholarly language
• They are reviewed by other experts in the same field

4. Books / book chapters

Most academic books are usually reviewed and edited by a group of experts. In most cases, such books aid a lot in academic research purposes. They have in-depth information a student can use to get more information about a particular topic compared to articles.  

5. Conference proceedings

In a conference proceeding, there are information, research, and related papers presented during the event. Conferences are common in the sciences and engineering fields and are always published later after being peer-reviewed by experts.

6. News and magazines

In most cases, these articles are written by professional journalists using easy-to-understand language meant for the general public. Reading such magazines and news can give a student a new concept and idea on how to approach a particular topic during the research.

What makes a source credible?

Now that we have looked at examples of academic sources, let us analyze what makes a good academic source.

Of course, the professor will expect you to use only credible sources with verified information to ensure you present factual content in your paper. Use the following aspects to determine a credible source to use in your research paper:

• Author’s qualifications

An academic author for such sources should have credentials from a recognized learning institute.

• Check the sources

All sources should have references or a bibliography list.

• Check if the source is peer-reviewed

A source reviewed by other experts means that it has credible information.

• Check the target audience

The type of audience will determine the writing style.

Conclusion

If you have always wondered what is an academic source for a paper, there you have it. I hope this article has presented you with useful facts, especially when determining the sources to use in your academic papers.

The research proposal definition

Before we discuss more on a research paper proposal and research paper proposal example apa, let us explain first what a research proposal means.

Well, a student writes a research proposal after choosing a topic, then explains and justifies why the topic is significant and why they need to carry out such research. Since the research proposal is an academic document, a student must ensure they understand the target audience well and include every single detail, from research methods, benefits of the research, challenges, and other ideas we will discuss later in this article. The purpose of this document is to convince the panel that your topic is crucial so that they can give a student the okay to start the research. Besides, a student can as well write a research paper proposal when they want to secure funding from funding agencies.

Writing a research proposal: the structure

When you are ready to write your research proposal, the question is, how will you start? And what content will you include in each section? Well, let’s highlight the appropriate structure and the relevant content you should include in the research proposal.

1. The introduction

Every academic paper should have an intro, and so is the research proposal. However, before the introduction, you must have a topic, and understanding how to write a topic proposal for a research paper is the first step towards writing a successful research proposal. In the introduction section of your research proposal, you simply introduce your topic and highlight the questions and problems you intend to answer after carrying out the research.

Note: in some instances, you might need to add the abstract and table of content just before the introduction.

2. Background significance

Here, you simply explain the significance of your research and its relationship with your field of study and what previous researchers have done on the same. For instance, do you need to challenge previous research, strengthen it, or compliment it?

Also, you answer the reader the questions highlighted in the introduction and explain approaches you will use while doing the research. For a better understanding, you can check an APA research proposal example and see how to arrange such ideas.

3. Literature review

Here, you explain the sources you intend to use and how you will use them while doing your research, such as scholarly articles, books, and related materials.

4. Research design, methods, and schedule

This section explains the type of research you want to do. For instance, is it quantitative or qualitative research? Also, determine if you are using data from other researchers or if you intend to collect new and original data. One more thing, explain the tools you will use during data collection. Other relevant information to include under this section include:

• Research proposal timeline
• The budget
• Any challenges to can foresee and how you will handle them.

5. Suppositions and implications

One thing for sure is that you cannot determine the results before you do the research. But the, once you decide to work on a given research project, you must understand how your efforts will contribute to your area of specialization. So, under this section, include the following:

• The existing problems your research can help to fix
• How your efforts will challenge existing research in the same field
• How your research can be used for academic purposes
• Ways in which your research will lay the foundation for future projects

Simply put, this section is all about stating the results you anticipate after the research

6. Conclusion

Like any other academic paper, the conclusion section is where you wrap all the ideas and concepts you have included in your paper. The same applies when writing a research proposal.

7. Bibliography

Here, you will list the list of sources and the authors based on the required citation style.

Conclusion

If you always find it challenging to write a research proposal, reading through a proposal for research paper example could be the best approach to understanding how to go about such papers.

Nursing is among the most demanding careers, and it is also among the complex subjects with complex topics that require adequate skills to handle research topics. As part of your study course requirements, you will need to submit several nursing assignments such as essays, thesis, and reports. That is why you should equip yourself with good nursing research topics to stay prepared always.

Professional nurses must have communication, organization, and time management skills to help them while in the line of duty. That is why nursing students write many research papers to learn all these skills and apply them in their future careers. Besides, good communication is a significant requirement for all nurses as it aids in effective communication with the patients.

How to write a nursing research paper: nursing research paper outline

Like any other academic research paper, nursing research papers are used to weigh the understanding level of students on a given concept. The topic can come in the form of an analytical, expository, or argumentative research paper. Since this is an academic paper, it should have a clear structure, including the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion section.

Note: before writing the final paper for submission, you will need to write a nursing research paper outline that will guide you throughout the whole paper.

Simply put, a research paper outline is a draft representation of what you will include in the final paper before submitting it for checking. The following is the overall structure of a nursing research paper:

• The title page

Here, you need to include the title of the paper, your name as a writer, your affiliations as a writer, and the contact information of the writer.

• Abstract

This is the overall summary of the entire paper.

• The introduction

This information briefs the reader on what your paper is all about.

• Literature review

This section explains the technical aspect of your topic as written by other authors.

• Research methodology

This section explains the methods used in your research, qualitative research in nursing methods, the procedures, and other related questions.

• Results and discussions

Whether you are doing applied nursing research or any nursing research paper, you will present your findings under this section. Every result should have a clear explanation for the reader to understand well.

• Conclusions and recommendations

This is simply a summary of all the ideas you have included in the research paper.

• References

Of course, you need to add a reference section of the sources where you got your points based on the required citations.

Research topics for nursing students

The following are some of the best topics nursing students can consider.

Critical care nursing research topics

1. The role of nurses in the healing process of critically ill patients
2. Why is setting the alarm for critically ill patients significant?
3. Should visitation be allowed in critical care units?
4. Top challenges nurses face while handling critically ill patients.
5. The emotional state of critical care nurses

Health care research questions

6. Discuss mental disabilities in patients
7. What are the legal aspects of healthcare?
8. The impact of nurses shortage in patient care.
9. Using technology in treatment.
10. Children and mental problems

Labor and delivery nursing research topics

11. Describe case studies of positive birth experiences
12. Midwifery services in rural areas.
13. How to engage fathers post and prenatal care?
14. How to handle disabilities during pregnancy?
15. The significance of midwife services during emergency
16. How to ensure high hygiene and skincare standards in newborns?

Interesting nursing topics to research

17. Does Malnutrition treatment help children?
18. Ways to prevent malnutrition in kids.
19. What are the major causes of child mortality?
20. Treating acute coronary syndrome.
21. What triggers chronic anxiety disorders?
22. How to Improve oral health in senior patients.

Pediatric nursing research topics

23. Weight and Obesity management.
24. How pediatricians increase vaccine rates in their profession?
25. How to Evaluate a less than 2 months febrile infant?
26. Discuss rare diseases
27. What is the role of hospital medicine?
28. Autism in children.

Psychiatric nursing research topics

29. Compare disability with depression
30. How to handle failed suicide cases?
31. How to care for a family with a young dying relative?
32. Required qualities of a psychiatric nurse
33. What is the relationship between lifestyle changes and clinical depression?
34. The imposter syndrome and social media
35. Management techniques of post-traumatic disorder.

Conclusion

Are you looking forward to joining the nursing field? Well, make this guide your priority, especially when deciding on the topics.

History paper ideas: how to determine the best US history topics to write about

Of course, getting the best topics for history research paper ideas requires you to think first before settling on any topic that comes your way. So, when searching for interesting American history topics for your research project, use the following approaches before deciding on any topic:

1. Determine your interests

Start by thinking of American history, then determine where your interest lies. For instance, is it the war? Is it all about women, or is it about cultural practices? Well, whatever your interest is, determine the era, narrow down the topic and start from there.

2. Do some narrow research

Here you want to get an overview of American history before you decide on the topic. So, do simple research based on the events, social happenings, different approaches to things, or if it is all about gender-based research.

3. Determine research materials availability

Of course, before settling on any given US history topics to write about, ask yourself, will I get enough materials for this particular topic? The sources will help you generate a well-crafted paper with evidence.

Interesting American history topics

The following are some of the best topics for history research paper you can consider during your next research project.

Top American history research paper topics for college students

1. The effect of the Bracero Program on the Americans.
2. What caused Missouri Compromise, and what was the effect?
3. How did Black Panthers come into being?
4. Explain the cause of the Red Scare.
5. Explain the Justification of the Boston Tea Party.
6. What led to the 1780’s economic recession?
7. How did Railroads development impact Industrial Revolution?

Early American history topics

8. Explain yellow journalism in relation to Spanish American war.
9. The effect of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
10. Explain the role of the Media in bringing down Boss Tweed.
11. What was the Military role of women in World War II?
12. Explain how the new deal brought America out of depression.

Good US history research topics

13. Slavery in the United States of America.
14. How did the founding fathers shape the American culture?
15. What is your understanding of US elections Events?
16. What caused the civil war in the USA?
17. America’s WWI Terror Trophies.
18. American revolution and social conflicts.

Best history topics after 1877

19. Describe the rise and reconstruction of Jim Crow
20. How did the USA enter into WWI?
21. What was the rise of Industrial America like?
22. The revolution of Mexican and the United States
23. What were the USA policies in Central America and the Caribbean?
24. John Muir’s contribution to the National Park Movement
25. The contribution of African Americans in the civil war

Top interesting topics in US history

26. The impact of the Gold Rush on California’s development.
27. The role of Thomas Paine in America’s Revolution.
28. The Causes and Effects of the Mexican War.
29. Philosophical, social, and economic factors led to the formation of Labor unions in 1800.
30. The impact of Dred Scott’s Decision on Slavery Matters.
31. Explain why Mormons Experienced opposition in Illinois.

Best research paper topics American history before 1877

32. Positive and Negative impacts of Transcontinental Railroad
33. The impact of the Silver Rush on the West
34. Explain how the USA Justified and achieved the Manifest Destiny
35. The role of the cowboy in the culture of the West
36. How Mormons Overcame all their challenges
37. Impact of Canal and road Development on the growth of development in some parts of the US
38. Texas Revolution: The role of the Alamo

Best WWII topics for research paper

39. The impact of WWII on racial in the USA
40. What were the long-term effects of WWII?
41. What is your understanding of the Battle of the Bulge during WWII?
42. A comparative analysis between the Iraq war and WWII.
43. How was Black Immigration affected by WWII?
44. The state of crime rates during WWII.
45. What innovations came up during WWII?

Conclusion

Are you a student specializing in history as a discipline? Well, there is a wide range of topics you can choose from. Make this guide an option whenever tasked with history assignments.