Lack of Flow: Diagnosis and Treatment

by brucesmith | Jun 14, 2018 | Characteristics of Good Scientific Writing

Dear Nurse–Author, If a reviewer of a paper you have written tells you that your paper lacks “flow,” you may be uncertain about what this diagnosis signifies and what treatment entails.  Do not be discouraged! You are not alone in encountering the dreaded Lack of Flow... Read More

Why Use APA Style?

by brucesmith | May 28, 2018 | Characteristics of Good Scientific Writing

I’m sometimes asked why nursing schools require students to write papers in APA style—the writing style specified by the American Psychological Association. Although I do not know the historical thinking of the nursing school administrators who chose APA style, U.S.... Read More

Accuracy in Scientific Writing

by brucesmith | Nov 30, 2017 | Characteristics of Good Scientific Writing

In scientific writing, semantic accuracy is especially important. Semantic accuracy refers to agreement between an author’s intended meaning and the words that the author uses to express that meaning. Formal composition requires that authors write—and think—with a... Read More