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Major Dental Surgery affecting sleep, pain
Paper details:
This assignment will resemble a brief research article that reports the results of your single subject intervention. Maximum length is 12 pages, not including title page, abstract, figures, and references. Figures/graphs should be included after the references, as per APA guidelines (see book or websites). You can include text that you wrote for your proposal, but be sure to edit for verb tense and etc.
1. Abstract
a. 200 words maximum. This describes all aspects of your study, including the background/lit review. Need at least one sentence each for the background, subject, methods, results, and implications. Citations are almost never given in the abstract.
2. Introduction (1-2) pages
a. Start with the problem you will try to address (discussed broadly here, e.g., body image problems, anxiety, substance use, whatever). Be sure to give a compelling reason why your problem is worthy of a research project.
b. Identify the client system (anonymously!).
c. Describe the client need or problem (discussed specifically to the client here). Need enough information to understand the client (think person-in-environment), the problem, and how the intervention is a good match. You do NOT need the client’s entire life history.
d. Describe the goals of intervention (see above about goals).
3. Literature Review (3-6 pages – the use of headings is encouraged!)
a. Summarize the research that examines the problem area. Pay particular attention to the problem as experienced by your client (e.g., if the client’s anxiety doesn’t include panic attacks, don’t discuss them at length).
b. As relevant, consider expanding the descriiption to include etiologies, comorbidities, theories, risks of the problem if unchecked, etc.
c. Describe research on your intervention. Ideally, link this to the targets of your study. For example, if you’re using sleep hygiene to increase sleep quality and cognitive performance, you need citations to support that this will work. If those particular studies aren’t out there, you need to give evidence of why you think your intervention will work. For example, a similar intervention has worked, the intervention has worked for similar problems, etc.
d. You need a bare minimum of five peer-reviewed sources, preferably from the past 15 years, although I would prefer more (perhaps 10-15).
e. The end of your literature review should conclude with a paragraph summarizing your study, including your research questions. (See many published papers; heading is often The Present Study).
4. Methods
a. Start broad with an overview. What was your design? (E.g., AB, ABA, ABAB, etc.) How long were the phases? Be sure to give some detail about your procedures, including the intervention.
b. Describe the tools that you used to measure targets. Discuss the validity and reliability of those tools and include references for any published instruments (don’t cite PsycTests – give published information). Give enough information on scoring for the reader to be able to interpret your results.
c. Include samples of tools (in an appendix, if applicable) and how they were used.
d. Describe how the data was collected (e.g., nightly forms, daily tracking systems).
5. Results
a. Provide one line chart for each outcome you measured (meaning that you need at least two graphs for your paper). Put the graphs at the end of the paper as figures (see APA guidelines). These charts should look exactly like the charts we looked at in the lectures on SSD. You will be provided a tutorial on how to make them.
b. Describe your results. You can add statistical tests if you’d like, but I don’t expect that. Also, don’t repeat every data point that’s in a figure; here you should discuss observed patterns and trends, but save the interpretation of those for later. It’s best to discuss one outcome at a time in separate paragraphs It can be helpful to provide means of your measures in the different phases, especially if your goals set benchmarks that rely on means (e.g., reduce anxiety by 25%). I am looking for evidence that you spent time with your charts, critically and thoroughly looking at any patterns or changes between phases.
c. Report any problems encountered in data collection in this section (e.g., the participant was sick for two weeks so couldn’t exercise as planned; the participant struggled to consistently record data, so some dates are missing, etc.).
6. Discussion
a. What are your conclusions about your intervention? Effective or not? Connect your discussion back to the literature. Was this the expected result? If not, why do you think this happened?
b. Were there any unexpected problems or limitations you encountered? What are the implications of those problems (e.g., poorly tolerated intervention).
c. Review ethical concerns and address any issues.
d. What are the implications? Should others use the techniques you used, or would you make other recommendations? What are the directions for future research?
7. References
Notes and hints:
1. If your literature review is a series of paragraphs that each describe a single study, you need to revise. Each paragraph should be on a coherent topic, and there may be multiple citations within each paragraph.
2. You’ve got the following things to discuss:
a. The problem
b. The two constructs that you’re using as outcomes
c. Your intervention
Note that you can have paragraphs connecting each of those things (e.g., research on music therapy for both of your outcomes), in addition to their etiologies and potential impacts. Lots to discuss!
3. Minimize the use of quotes! There should be no more than 1-2 in the whole paper, if any. Examples of good quotes include definitions (but from the literature, not Miriam Webster’s), or a particularly well-phrased descriiption of something that you can’t paraphrase.
4. Avoid discussing interventions or constructs you’re not addressing in your study. For example, if you’re studying insomnia, and exercise isn’t part of your intervention, don’t have a section about why exercise is important for good sleep.
5. Don’t mix descriiption of the client with the lit review. They should align well, but the client descriiption should be separate. Please don’t go back and forth in the same paragraph.
Grading rubric for final paper
Section What I’m looking for Points
Abstract A complete overview of your study within the word limits. Good alignment with your paper contents. 5
Introduction Clear identification of client and the problem. Enough information is included about the client to understand the need for change, as well as the choices around intervention and measured targets. Client’s identity is protected. 10
Literature Review This section should flow well and address all points specified above: problem, theory, interventions. All constructs used in your study should be connected, with supporting citations. 20
Methods Clear intervention descriiption. Clear presentation of intervention and baseline phases, including length of each. Sufficient information to understand measurement plan, including reliability and validity considerations. 20
Results Each outcome measure presented in results section, preferably with correct graph showing phases clearly. Correct presentation of findings. 20
Discussion Accurate synopsis of intervention effectiveness, including interpretation of results. Ethical considerations, limitations, and implications for research and practice are addressed. 15
References/APA formatting/Presentation Correction citations and APA formatting throughout. Minimal grammar and spelling errors. 10
Section Comments Points
Abstract /5
Introduction /10
Literature Review /20
Methods /20
Results /20
Discussion /15
References/APA formatting/Presentation /10
Attached is the original research proposal where you will the idea of the study, a sample SSD paper, and the info for generating charts.
You can make up the data needed for the charts, just follow what is laid out in the proposal and this
. Your sleep measure should ideally be done in the morning when you can remember how you slept. I think this means you’re planning to fill out the pain and anxiety scales on the evenings of M,W, & F throughout the study, which gives you three time points in phase A (one week) and twelve in phase B (four weeks).
