Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S.

Curriculum at CSUF

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Recommendation Report
by Alexandria Payan

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Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

To: Professor Leslie Bruce
From: Alexandria Payan
Date: December 11, 2014
Subject: Recommendation of the Inclusion of Research Reports to the Health Science Curriculum
Abstract
Many students claim that they were not prepared for their chosen work field after graduation. There is a
common lack of knowledge in writing techniques. This report provides research supporting the inclusion
of research reports into the curriculum of Health Science students. The suggestions being made are that a
bigger focus on the genre be incorporated into the required english courses for the degree; and/or creating
an english course specifically for health science majors. This new course addition will focus more on
genres used by health professionals in the medical, dental, or scientific fields.
Introduction
A student enrolls in college after high school looking to further their knowledge and to better prepare
themselves for a future career. Colleges obtain similar goals for their students; they are attempting to
prepare students for the career that they specify, ensuring they are ready for the field after graduation.
Unfortunately, students are still graduating unprepared to enter the work field, and most commonly when
it comes to writing.
Health Science being a broad major makes its hard to pinpoint the different paths that each student
choses. It is difficult determining how students will benefit from different subjects, and which subjects
will have the most impact on those students. Although literature reviews may be important to students
looking towards a career in public health or health education, there are just as many health students
looking to go in the scientific or medical fields who wouldn't necessarily benefit from learning the same
techniques. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide the research necessary to support the
inclusion of a curriculum containing research report demonstrations in the health science department.
Included in this report is a methodology section explaining procedures taken to provide the necessary
research through the illustration of a criteria chart, through online sources, through the examination of the
school course catalog and through the explanation of the conventions of the genre. The result section will

Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

follow listing the findings in further detail. Lastly, the conclusion and recommendation sections will
explain the overall findings and the importance of the inclusion of this genre to the health science
curriculum, respectively.
Methods
Four different methods were conducted to see what different writing genres should be incorporated and
how to do so for the students of Health Science focusing on a career in the medical or dental fields.
I.

Criteria Chart

A survey(Appendix I) was created and given to five Health Science professionals either by email, in
person, or by telephone. The results retrieved from the survey were used to create a criteria
chart(Appendix II) to better explain the findings.
II.

Online Research

Research was conducted via the internet to further the authors knowledge of the specific genre and any
extra information needed to conduct this study. Scholarly readings, written by San Francisco School of
Dentistry, Community Connect to Research, etc., were the sources used.
III. 2013-2015 Course Catalog
The 2013-2015 course catalog was reviewed to determine whether the courses suggested for those of
Health Science majors were already teaching these genres. If the subjects were already covered, the focus
moved to whether there was a big enough emphasis on the subject, or whether or not a stronger emphasis
needed to be put on these genres. The courses in the catalog were also reviewed to determine if different
classes were better qualified for these genres to be incorporated into, rather than the courses already
suggested for Health Science majors.
IV. Conventions of Genres
The conventions of the research report genre were reviewed to determine which course or courses would
best incorporate the curriculum.
Results
I. Criteria Chart
The survey, ranked on a Likert scale, was developed as a way to evaluate five Health Science

Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

professionals opinions and determine which genre was the most useful to health science students and why.
The survey asked the the following: does the genre help you to your future career, provide you with
lifelong needs, how common it is in the school department/work place, does it help students advance in
the industry/technology, and does it promote interdisciplinary collaboration. Most participants stated that
research reports are the most important way to continue improving science; to gain further knowledge in
order to improve patient care is critical in the medical field. (L. Browne, Survey, November 5, 2014).
A criteria chart was then created with the results and scorings of the surveys given to the five
professionals. Between research reports, lab reports, progress reports, and grant proposals, research
reports were ranked the most useful and important to the Health Science major with a focus on a future
career in the medical and/or dental field. Lab reports, progress reports, grant proposals, and research
reports received an averaged score of 19.0, 15.2, 17.0, and 23.6, respectively. The highest scoring genre
was the genre studied.
II. Online Research
Research was performed to reveal the necessity and importance for students to understand how to conduct
research and explain their findings. Community Connect to Research clearly tells us that the
development of new medical treatments and cures would not happen without research and the active role
of researchers (Why is health research important?, paragraph 1, 2014). The group continues on to
explain that the community as a whole is living an average of ten years longer than people were in the
1960s, and even 30 years longer than the people of the 1920s. This is all due to the continuous research
that has been performed by doctors and scientists to further their own knowledge and others in their field.
According to the University of San Francisco School of Dentistry, Only by becoming a person of science
is there any hope that the practitioner will be able to acquire and assimilate new knowledge and to adapt
to the changes in practice and in the profession that the future requires, (The University of San Francisco
School of Dentistry, 2002). The school explains that a student becomes a person of science through
studies, knowledge, research, and by being able to explain their findings with others.
Although there are different aspects to the Health Science major, all health science professions are
suggesting that students, practitioners, and educators need to know how to do research and understand

Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

how it will further them in their career. Although different methods of writing results are possible,
research reports are the most sufficient, as they are written in depth, accuracy and details.
III. 2013-2015 Course Catalog
California State University, Fullertons course catalog was reviewed to see if any required Health Science
courses and/or any non-health science courses already taught this genre to students. If not, the courses
were evaluated as to which courses should be incorporated into the curriculum. Three courses already
required to the Health Science major fit the category:
HESC 220 Concepts in Health Science (3)
ENG 301 Advanced College Writing (3)
ENG 360 Technical Writing (3)
HESC 220 is course that teaches the students different concepts in the field, including how to write
literature reviews. This course could incorporate the teaching of research papers to further the students
knowledge in a general sense, and for those students interested in a more specific work field, such as
medicine or dentistry. One of two upper division english courses are required for Health Science majors,
ENG 301 or ENG 360. The first course is a basic, advanced writing class available for all majors.
However, the second is more specific, focusing on different technical writing concepts and genres,
including areas such as grant proposals, resumes, and memos. Neither courses focus in on the research
report genre, specified as greatly important to the field.
IV. Conventions of Genres
In the Student Guide to Research in the Digital Age, Leslie F. Stebbins insists that research is based off of
seven steps, similar to the scientific method (Stebbins, 2006). These steps include: 1. define a research
question, 2. ask for help, 3. develop a research strategy and locate resources, 4. use effective search
techniques, 5. read critically, synthesize, and seek meaning, 6. understand the scholarly communication
process and cite sources, and 7. critically evaluate sources (Stebbins, 2006). These seven steps, along with
the scientific method, have an influence on scientific writing. Although all reports may be different in
some aspects, most follow a similar guideline including an abstract, introduction, methodology and/or
equipment, results, and a discussion or conclusion. Grand Canyon University provides a simple

Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

explanation of the components of a research report. They state that an abstract is a short summary of the
entire report and is written upon completion of the report with a limit of 200 or less words. An
introduction is a brief description of the history of the subject and explains why you chose this subject.
Methodology and results introduces which techniques would be used to retrieve your data, as well as
explains your findings in great detail. Lastly, the conclusion or discussion is similar to the abstract. Its a
wrap up of the experiments conducted and the results found; it should provide an answer to whether the
research question or hypothesis was proven to be correct or incorrect(GCU, Center for Innovation in
Research and Teaching, 2014).
Conclusion
After reviewing the results from the above sources, it is apparent that including research papers is
important and should be incorporated into the Health Science major curriculum. Health science is a broad
branch of the sciences, and research will always be important and necessary in any field involving the
sciences. Medicine, procedures, facts, and experiments are always changing. Knowing how to update
information and properly explain yourself in a research report is crucial in the medical field and the lack
of knowledge in the writing aspect of research needs to be improved.
Recommendation
The recommendation being made is that the genre of research reports be incorporated into the curriculum
of health science majors in one of two ways. The first suggestion is the genre be taught, more focused on,
and included in either Health Science 220 or English 360 for technical writing. As much as the professors
focus on how to write a literature review in Health Science 220, the instructor should add focus on writing
a research report as well. English 360 introduces many different genres throughout the semester, but
adding focus on research reports would be helpful to many health science students looking towards a
medical career. The second, more emphasized recommendation is the creation of a writing class
specifically for health science majors be added as an option for the writing requirement. A writing course
focused on the medical field would be helpful for the students that are working towards a career aside
from public health or health education. The course should focus on the different genres important to
various science fields, such a lab reports, progress reports, grant proposals, and research reports.

Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

APA References
California State University Fullerton (August, 2013). 2013-2011 University Catalog. Fullerton, CA: Titan
Shops
College of Arts and Sciences(2010-2014). Abstracts. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.unc.edu/
handouts/abstracts/
Community Connect to Research (2014). Why is health research important? (2014, August 1). Retrieved
from http://www.connecttoresearch.org/understanding_research/why_is_health_research_
important
Grand Canyon University, Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching(2013). Components of a
research paper. Retrieved from: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/tutorials/
researchpaper
Paiz, J., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., ... Keck, R. (2013, March 3). APA
general formatting. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
School of Dentistry, University of California at San Francisco (2002). The role and importance of
research and scholarship in dental education and practice. J Dent Education. 66(8), 918-924.
Stebbins, L. F.. (2006) Student Guide to Research in the Digital Age. Greenwood, Library of Congress.

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Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

Appendices
I.

Survey given to Health Science professionals:

Health Science Survey

Conduct this survey with a focus on what writing genres are most important to the Health Science
major(with a concentration on the dental/medical field), and which writing styles should be more incorporated into the curriculum. Thank you!
Research Reports:
Research reports help you get to you future career:
5
4
3
2
1
strongly
somewhat
neutral
somewhat
strongly
agree
agree
disagree
disagree

!Research reports will further provide you with future lifelong needs:
5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

Lab reports help you get to you future career:

5
4
3
strongly
somewhat
neutral
agree
agree

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
4
3
2
strongly
somewhat
neutral
somewhat
agree
agree
disagree
Lab reports will help students advance in the industry or technology:
5
4
3
2
strongly
somewhat
neutral
somewhat
agree
agree
disagree

1
strongly
disagre

!Research reports are common in the school department and work field:

!Research reports will help students advance in the industry or technology:

!Research reports will promote interdisciplinary collaboration:
!Lab Reports:

!Lab reports will further provide you with future lifelong needs:
4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

!Lab reports are common in the school department and work field:

1
strongly
disagree

Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

!Lab reports will promote interdisciplinary collaboration:

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

Progress reports help you get to you future career:

5
4
3
strongly
somewhat
neutral
agree
agree

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

Grant proposals help you get to you future career:

5
4
3
strongly
somewhat
neutral
agree
agree

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

5
strongly
agree

4
somewhat
agree

3
neutral

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

!Progress Reports:

!Progress reports will further provide you with future lifelong needs:

!Progress reports are common in the school department and work field:

!Progress reports will help students advance in the industry or technology:

!Progress reports will promote interdisciplinary collaboration:
!Grant Proposals:

!Grant proposals will further provide you with future lifelong needs:

!Grant proposals are common in the school department and work field:

!Grant proposals will help students advance in the industry or technology:

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Addition of Research Reports to the Health Science B.S. Curriculum at CSUF

Grant proposals will promote interdisciplinary collaboration:
5
4
3
strongly
somewhat
neutral
agree
agree

2
somewhat
disagree

1
strongly
disagree

!Which of the following do you consider to be the most important writing genre to our Health Science major, with a concentration on the medical and/or dental field?
! Research Report
Lab Report Progress Report
Grant Proposal
!Why?_______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
___________________________
II. Criteria Chart:
Do they help
you get to
your future
career?

Will the
further
provide you
with future
lifelong
needs?

Are they
common in
the school
department
or work
field?

Will they
help students
advance in
the industry
or
technology?

Do they
promote
interdisciplin
ary
collaboration

OVERALL
AVERAGE

Research
Report

5.0

4.8

4.2

5.0

4.6

23.6

Lab Report

4.0

3.8

3.4

4.2

3.6

19.0

Progress
Report

3.2

3.0

2.8

3.2

3.0

15.2

Grant
Proposals

3.4

3.0

3.2

4.2

3.2

17.0

Contributors: Lindsay Browne, RDH; John Cho, DDS; Elizabeth Villareal, RDH; Grant Nigawa, DDS;
Jackie Blyleven, Health Science Professor and Advisor.