Syllabus
Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
APN 790: Fundamentals of Manuscript Preparation
Credits - 3
Description
This 8-week course is designed to help graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral students revise and format an existing piece of scholarly writing to meet publication expectations. Students are expected to have a dissertation, thesis, research or capstone manuscript to revise into an article manuscript. This course will prepare students to work through journal selection, authorship issues, and the preparation of manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
The class is intended for graduate and doctoral students who have completed a graduate project through primary or secondary data collection and are engaged in the analyses of their results – typically beyond the midway mark of their project; the introduction, background, methods, results and at least part of the discussion should be complete.
At the end of the term, students enrolled will have completed a manuscript that is ready for submission to a peer-reviewed academic journal and are expected to provide proof of submission.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Students will
- choose a peer-reviewed journal appropriate to their subject and career needs.
- learn how to successfully navigate a manuscript through the entire manuscript preparation, revision, review and publishing process.
- practice and apply their understanding of professional standards for the conduct of ethical reporting of scientific results.
- apply critical thinking and revision skills to meet the expectations of scholarly writing for a publication.
- learn how to better present the results of their experiments in effective tables and figures.
- improve their writing skills so that each section of manuscript is concise and organized.
- successfully submit a research manuscript to a peer-reviewed, scientific journal to share their findings with the scientific community.
Assignments
Key Assignments
All assignments will receive instructor feedback to assist with the revision process.
Locate and Select Journals for Submission (Week 2) – You will learn to distinguish between open-access and subscription-based journal, to use journal-matching resources to identify journals appropriate for the manuscript topic, and to select an appropriate journal. Finally, you will become familiar with the journal formatting guidelines.
Introduction and Background Revision (Week 3) – The beginning sections of the manuscript are revised for conciseness, clarity, and formatting according to the chosen journal’s guidelines.
Methods and Results Revision (Week 4) – These sections are revised according to the chosen journal’s guidelines, with special attention given to tables and figures.
Discussion and Conclusion Revision (Week 5) – The final manuscript sections are revised for clarity and to meet journal guidelines.
Structured and Unstructured Abstracts (Week 6) – Two types of abstract structure are practiced in this assignment.
Peer Review of a Manuscript (Week 6) – You will practice the peer-review process and receive feedback from a peer.
Final Revision of Manuscript (Week 7) – Instructor feedback will be incorporated into the final draft of the manuscript before submission to the chosen journal during week 8.
Assignments are due on Tuesdays, 11:59pm ET.
Discussions
Discussions in Weeks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 focus on sharing sections of the manuscript and providing feedback to peers.
Initial Posts are due on Fridays, 11:59pm ET and Response Posts are due Sundays, 11:59pm ET.
Furthermore, in regard to all assignments, please observe the following:
- All assignments must be completed using the chosen journal’s required citation style and format.
- All times refer to Eastern Time (ET).
- All questions about assignments, and all questions in general, should be sent through email.
Writing Statement
As professionals in the field, you will consistently be expected to clearly and concisely articulate advanced concepts for diverse audiences at a variety of educational levels.
Graduate students are expected to produce their best quality work, including screening their work prior to submission for clarity, grammatical, spelling, formatting and mechanical issues.
While there is often a portion of each assignment’s rubric dedicated specifically to grammar, spelling, mechanics, and formatting, it is critical to understand that failure to submit work that has been adequately proofed may result in a reduction of points in other areas of the rubric. These may include, but are not limited to metrics rating professionalism or content knowledge and synthesis; work submitted in graduate courses should provide evidence of strategic reading, writing, and academic speaking skills essential for success in the discipline.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Points |
|---|---|
| Student Syllabus Contract | 1 |
| Permission Form | 1 |
| Introductory Discussion | 2 |
| Submit Original Manuscript | 1 |
| Discussions (4 @ 5 points each) | 20 |
| Journal Selection and Guidelines Review | 10 |
| Introduction and Background Revision | 10 |
| Methods and Results Revision | 10 |
| Discussion and Conclusion Revision | 10 |
| Abstracts | 10 |
| Cover letter | 2 |
| Final Revised Manuscript | 20 |
| Final Reflection Discussion | 2 |
| Submission to Publication | 1 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Week 1: May 8 – May 14
Week 2: May 15 – May 21
Week 3: May 22 – May 28
Week 4: May 29 – Jun 4
Week 5: Jun 5 – Jun 11
Week 6: Jun 12 – Jun 18
Week 7: Jun 19 – Jun 25
Week 8: Jun 26 – Jun 30
Week 1 – Introductions and Abstract Sharing
Learning Outcomes
- Introduce their project which will serve as their primary template to construct their manuscript.
- Engage with the cohort through introductory posts and sharing abstracts.
- Complete the Permission to Publish Form as part of publishing ethics.
Discussions
- Introductions and sharing abstracts of current manuscript.
Assignments
- Submit current project to instructor.
Week 2 – Identifying and Selecting a Journal
Learning Outcomes
- Effectively use a journal database matching software.
- Examine the author guidelines of a chosen journal to determine if it is open-access, hybrid, or subscription-based.
- Select an academic journal that fits within the scope of student topic paper.
- Distinguish between open-access and subscription-based journals.
Discussions
- Identify and select five journals that fit with aim of project; provide peers with additional choices.
Assignments
- Select journal for final submission and summarize author guidelines.
Week 3 – Revision of Introduction/Background Section
Learning Outcomes
- Begin revising and reformatting the Introduction and Background sections to meet requirements of the chosen journal.
- Practice the peer review process through evaluation and critique of peer introduction/background sections.
Discussions
- Share and provide feedback on a revised Introduction and Conclusion section, focusing on writing clarity.
Assignments
- Revise Introduction and Conclusion section, adhering to the chose journal’s guidelines.
Week 4 – Revision of Methods and Results Section
Learning Outcomes
- Reformat tables and figures based on the chosen journal’s requirements.
- Revise the Methods and Results section for clarity, adhering to journal requirements.
Discussions – none this week.
Assignments
- Revise the Methods and Results section, following the chosen journal’s guidelines.
Week 5 – Revision of Discussion and Conclusion Section
Learning Outcomes
- Revise a Discussion and Conclusion section for a submission-ready manuscript, adhering to journal requirements.
- Create a title page for a submission-ready manuscript.
- Practice revising and editing to improve manuscript language, grammar, and syntax.
Discussions – none this week.
Assignments
- Revise the Discussion and Conclusion section, following the chosen journal’s guidelines.
Week 6 – Abstracts
Learning Outcomes
- Draft both a structured and unstructured abstract.
- Identify appropriate 3-6 keywords for their manuscript.
- Write a professional cover letter for submission.
Discussions
- Share and provide feedback on abstracts.
Assignments
- Submit a structured and unstructured abstract in accordance with journal guidelines and word limits.
- Submit a cover letter draft, which will be used as part of the submission process in week 8.
Week 7 – Final Manuscript Revisions
Learning Outcomes
- Engage in a peer review process using peer review questions and a checklist.
- Revise for improved clarity using a revision checklist and feedback provided.
Discussions
- Practice the peer-review process to provide and receive feedback on the complete manuscript draft.
Assignments
- Make revisions to all sections of the manuscript, incorporating instructor feedback on sections from previous weeks.
Week 8 – Submission to Journal
Learning Outcomes
- Review the author guidelines of the chosen journal and revise the entire manuscript, critically incorporating feedback from the instructor.
- Submit a submission-ready manuscript and cover letter to the chosen journal.
Discussions
- Initial post only – reflect on the revision process to prepare a manuscript for publication.
Assignments
- Make final revisions to the complete manuscript and a formal submission to the selected peer-reviewed journal, including a cover letter.
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Applied Nutrition page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Applied Nutrition Database
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
In keeping with the requirements of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course and is available at both UNE libraries under the title "AMA Manual." Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in AMA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.