Why Writing Matters
Why Writing Matters in Occupational Therapy
“Strong writing skills are imperative for a successful occupational therapy career: writing is essential for assuring the provision of best practice services to our clients, to communicate with multidisciplinary teams, and to promote research and development of the profession…”
~Liat Gafni-Lachter, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Program
Typical Writing Assignments
- 2-3 page summary papers reviewing a particular diagnosis
- 8+ page papers reviewing a particular diagnosis in depth
- Reflection papers, 2+ pages, applying personal experiences and beliefs
- Case Study; a content outline is provided
- Reports of varying length and purpose on a given topic
- Research proposal
- IRB request
- Research manuscript for publication/presentation
- Professional Development Plan and Portfolio
Qualities of Good Writing
- Appropriate organization of content (introduction, body, conclusion)
- Appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence and paragraph construction and sequencing, and appropriate word usage
- Personal application of content and reflection
Appropriate Types of Evidence & Support
- Apply principles of Evidence-Based Practice in selecting citation materials
- All sources using the APA, 5th ed. are usually appropriate for use. Variance from this will be indicated with the assignment.
Citation Conventions
- APA, 6th ed. is currently required.
- In the case of manuscripts for publication, students will adhere to the individual publication requirements.
Special Comments
Evidence-based practice guidelines are generally as described in the User’s Guide to the Medical Literature: Essentials of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice by Guyatt & Rennie, published by the American Medical Association.
Please contact the Occupational Therapy Department about ANYTHING else that may be helpful to you!