Synthesis Paper on Public Health Problem

Information



The purpose of this paper is to investigate and synthesize current research and data on a public health problem of interest to you, with a consideration of the problem, the health outcomes, and connections to health disparities. (You will report on determinants and prevention/treatment in your next paper, so don’t focus on that here.) Please review the rubric in detail to see what you will be graded on.

TOPIC: Affects of Opioid use on low income and homeless populations
Academic Writing Process 

For this assignment, you should follow the guidance on steps 5-9 of the Academic Writing Process. These tips will help you organize your claims into an outline, write synthesized sections and sub-sections, and finalize the rest of the content and APA format:

Organize your information with an outline
Write synthesized sections by type of section
Finalize the introduction, conclusion, and abstract
Format the title, running head, keywords, etc.
Edit the final paper for grammar and spelling
Paper Requirements

The paper should be 2-3 pages of content, double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point font, and in APA format (seeTips & Resources: APA Style).
All citations and references should be in APA format. Look at the rules carefully.
The paper should also be in APA format, and include a title page, running head, abstract page with keywords, 2-3 content pages with headers, and a separate reference page. Look at the rules carefully.
You must cite and reference at least 8-10 research articles
The research articles must come from peer-reviewed journals, and be published within the past 3-4 years (no textbooks or other books)
You can cite older sources only if it is foundational research that everyone cites who does work in this area, but these won’t count towards the requirement.
You must cite and reference at least 1-3 government websites
The government website sources must provide information on data, policies, or programs, and be web pages or reports from the CDC or other government agencies (no non-governmental organizations or interest groups)
The content of the paper should include the following:
The claims you made in your synthesis matrix on the problem, prevalence, significance, populations affected, health outcomes, and health disparities.
Look at your claims, and figure out a logical way to organize them into sections with headers and sub-headers (use APA format for the different header levels).
If you have weak support for a claim you think is important, look for more sources to add to that paragraph, and explore whether there are differing approaches or research results in this area.
An introduction of one paragraph, that explains the issue (cite sources), presents the aims or goals of your paper, and introduces the topics you will cover (just name them, no citations needed).
Paragraphs that each focus on just one claim, weave together your sources to support that claim, and conclude with your thoughts on what this means. If your claim is pointing out an area of disagreement, then weave together the sources on that disagreement.
A conclusion of one paragraph that summarizes the key points in what you discovered, and provides future directions or recommendations on what is needed going forward (no citations unless you are citing a specific solution).
The abstract should be written last, and does NOT include citations. The abstract should include the following ideas from your paper:
Explanation of public health problem and its significance
Analysis of the most important/interesting/surprising findings on the required topics


We expect you to write like a public health professional. See the rubric below for the grading criteria on writing quality.
Your paper will be evaluated on grammar, spelling, communication, flow, and paragraph structure.
You should not use “I” or “we,” or “you” in this paper.