2. Identify information that addresses the nutritional issue
3. Analyze information for application to a defined population
4. Examine areas in which additional information may be needed to help a defined
population address a nutritional issue
5. Recommend approaches to distribute the nutritional information to a
defined populationTOPICS
There are a variety of topics available to use as the focus for your academic research
paper. General topics include
OO Identify macro- and micronutrients, their functions, and their effects on health and
well-being.
OO Examine the differences in nutritional needs throughout the life cycle.
OO Explain the various factors that affect the safety of food products and the new
technologies that affect food supplies.
If youre interested in a specific topic, youll need to include the signs and symptoms and
the relationship of these manifestations to the nutritional disorder. Youll need to also focus
on the treatment, the expected outcome of the treatment, measures to determine if the outcome
has been reached, and any actions that can be taken to prevent the health problem.
Examples of specific topics include
OO The impact of nutrition on the development of
OO Hypertension
OO Osteoporosis
OO Osteoarthritis
OO Type 2 diabetes mellitus
OO Heart disease
OO Atherosclerosis
OO Protein-calorie malnutrition
OO Application of nutrigenomics
OO Analysis of eating plans (fad diets) that restrict:
OO Protein
OO Carbohydrates
OO Fats
OO Use of MyPlate with a vegetarian eating plan
OO Fluid balance through the lifespanWHAT IS AN ACADEMIC PAPER?
An academic paper is a document that critically analyzes a specific topic. It begins with
general information about the topic and then moves into the specifics. The specifics are
explained by answering the who, what, when, where, and why about the topic.
Some academic papers are written after a research study has been conducted. Others
are written to support or refute a concept or idea.
SECTIONS OF THE PAPER
The paper should include the following sections:
OO Title page
OO Table of contents
OO Abstract
OO Introduction
OO General information
OO Application
OO Approaches or treatments
OO Expected outcomes/recommendations
OO Conclusion/summary
OO Reference list
TITLE PAGE
The title page identifies the title of the paper, your name and credentials, the course
name, and the date. The title of the paper should reflect the content. For example, if
youre writing a paper on the importance of adequate vitamin C intake for older adults,
appropriate titles might include
OO The Importance of Adequate Vitamin C When Aging
OO Vitamin C An Essential Nutrient in the Aging Adult
Some examples of titles that would not capture the intention of the paper would be
OO The Role of Vitamin C in Bodily Functions
OO The Impact of Vitamin C on HealthTABLE OF CONTENTS
A table of contents identifies the sections within the research paper. This part of the paper
is typically created last since it lists the topics and the associated page numbers within
the paper.
The following is an example of a table of contents:
Section 1: Abstract Page 1
Section II: Introduction Page 2
Section III: Vitamin C: An Essential Nutrient Page 4
ABSTRACT
The abstract is a summary of the entire paper. This part of the paper is also written after
the entire paper is complete. The length of the abstract should be about 100 to 200 words
and should include information that appears elsewhere in the paper. This is not the location
to introduce new ideas, concepts, or information.
Example of an abstract:
Vitamin C has been identified as an essential nutrient for all age groups; however, it
has been found to be lacking in those over age 65. Reasons for inadequate amounts
of vitamin C include high intake of processed foods, limited ability to obtain fresh foods,
and restricted income. Problems associated with low vitamin C levels in older adults
include poor wound healing, frequent infections, fatigue, and increased onset of chronic
illnesses. Strategies to increase the intake of vitamin C include selecting fresh or frozen
foods over processed or canned; purchasing fresh produce when in season; and
buying produce from local growers. Increasing the intake of vitamin C will reduce the
frequency of acute illnesses and infections, allay the development of chronic illnesses,
and improve energy levels. The importance of adequate vitamin C intake should be
communicated through wellness programs, community health fairs, health and wellness
clinics, and public service announcements targeting the older population.
This abstract is 153 words in length and covers all of the major areas that are to be
included in the paper.
INTRODUCTION
The introduction is where the topic of interest is introduced to the reader. This part of the
paper may be up to five or six paragraphs in length. Information that appears here may
include generalities about the purpose of the paper, who will benefit from reading the
information in this paper, why the topic is important, and the overall goal of writing the
paper.
Information about the background of the topic appears here as additional evidence of the
importance of the topic.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
The general information section provides a global view of the topic youve chosen. This
section may be approximately five or six paragraphs in length and serves to provide the
reader with an overview of the concept or topic. Many resources on writing academic
research papers consider this section to be the preferred location for placing the thesis
statement. A thesis statement is the problem statement or an explanation of the issue.
Here you can include statistics about the nutritional issue or health problem caused by it,
such as the number of people it affects, the locations where it most likely occurs, the time
of year, and any other criteria that makes this an important issue
to discuss.
You might want to create a diagram or table demonstrating the impact of the issue. A
table can be inserted in a word processing program (such as Word). The following example
that identifies the frequency of an issue according to gender, age, or calendar year.
Frequency of Vitamin C Deficiency in Older Adults
between 2001 and 2004
In this section you would also place any pictures or illustrations that would help the
reader understand the issue and its importance to nutrition. For example, an older person
with a vitamin C deficiency may have bleeding gums. You might want to include a picture
of bleeding gums within your paper. Here are some websites that often have royalty-free
clip art that you could use in your paper:
OO Shutter Stock
OO Dreams Time
OO Foto Search
OO iStock
OO Getty Images
Frequency Deficiency Discovered Gender Year
M F
110 40 60 2001
72 32 40 2002
61 40 21 2003
108 48 60 2004
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APPLICATION
The application section of the paper provides much more substantial information about
the topic. Here, you should focus on
OO Who would find this topic of interests
OO When this topic needs to be addressed
OO Where this topic has specific applicability
OO Why this topic is important
APPROACHES/TREATMENTS
Use of the approaches/treatments section will depend upon the topic. If the topic is a
specific nutrient, strategies to ensure that the nutrient is being ingested in recommended
amounts may appear here. You may also include a table or image here that identifies the
recommended amount of the nutrient.
If the topic is a specific health problem, such as obesity or anemia, then this section may
identify actions to take to help eliminate or reduce the effects of the health problem.
The length of this section will depend upon the topic selected and the amount of creativity
used when designing strategies.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES/RECOMMENDATIONS
The expected outcomes/recommendations section identifies the results expected when
a strategy to address the topic or health problem is implemented. Each outcome should
identify the approach to be used to measure the effectiveness. Measurements should
be objective or use concrete data such as laboratory values, changes in body weight,
amount of time engaging in an activity, and so on.
From the expected outcomes, recommendations can be made. Here you are to identify
steps or actions for a person to take to adjust or change nutritional habits to achieve a
specific outcome.
The overall length of this section will depend upon the number and type of expected outcomes
and the associated recommendations.
CONCLUSION/SUMMARY
The final section of the paper is the conclusion, or summary. Here all of the major points discussed
in the paper are reviewed along with the conclusions formed by analyzing the topic.
REFERENCE LIST
All academic papers must contain a list of references used when researching and writing
the paper. There are a variety of approaches when listing the reference citations. Examples
are shown below.
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Print resources:
Author last name, Author first initial of first name. (YEAR). Name of the book.
(edition of the book). City where the book was published: Name of the publisher.
Author last name, Author first initial of first name. (YEAR). Name of the article. Name
of the magazine in which the article appeared. The volume and issue of the magazine.
The page numbers.
Online resources:
Website. Name of the web page. Name of the article. Date the article was
posted/written. Date you accessed the article. The complete web URL.
Keep the following in mind when identifying/using content from the Internet for a
research paper:
OO Be sure that the website is valid. Examples of valid websites include the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO),
MedLine Plus, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and recognized agencies such as
the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Heart Association (AHA), the
American Lung Association (ALA), and the American Cancer Society (ACS).
OO Look at the webpage and find the date when the page was last updated. The date
should be within the last few years.
OO Find the physical street address and telephone number for the website. Websites
that dont publish a physical street address or telephone number to call for more
information may be blogs and, therefore, not a validated website.
Additional Resources
Since this may be the first time that you are writing
a research paper, you might want to view the following
videos for additional tips and techniques:
OO How to Write a Research Paper Fast
OO Tips for Writing a College Research Paper
OO 10 Steps for Writing a Research Paper
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WRITING THE PAPER
The following instructions should be implemented when preparing your paper.
1. Set all page margins to be 1 inch.
2. Begin each section on a new page.
3. Use the font Times New Roman at 12 point.
4. Support your opinion by citing specific information from the textbook, websites, and
any other references, using correct APA or MLA guidelines.
5. Write the table of contents after the entire paper has been written.
6. Write the abstract after the entire paper has been written.
7. Proofread your completed paper several times to check for typographical errors.
Read through the entire paper to make sure you have included all essential elements
and that the correct page numbers are listed on the Table of Contents.
8. Save the completed paper as a PDF file to ensure that no changes can be made
accidentally to your completed document.
