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At the beginning of this course, I was nervous for the work load and excited to actually be a part of the researching process, as a writer. I really had no idea what I wanted to write about, but as our class got more comfortable and everyone was settling in on topics, I realized the perfect topic for me. Before this class, I never really talked about my condition and really didn’t want to in the future. This class has brought me to express myself to help others. Like Marlen said before, “sometimes it’s not what you get out of it,” which I totally agree with now. I turned my fear of talking about my condition into something powerful that can actually help doctor and patient relationships along with other’s knowledge of this condition. My future goal is of course to pursue publication. I know that I will most likely have to keep trying but once it happens it is going to be the most rewarding thing I probably have ever done for myself. I need to do something for myself, instead of trying to please everyone around me and this is it. My proudest moment in this course was talking about hyperhidrosis for the first time. It’s a sensitive subject and only a few of my closest friends knew I had this. Becoming more open about this subject opened my eyes to the perception that I am not alone, others suffer from this condition and need my help. I know one thing that will stick with me the rest of my life is that the determination to help others and the will power to just keep trucking is going to help me in everything I do, along with the technicals about research writing. This was a great class with a lot of EDUCATION!!!

1) What assignment/document was most useful to you during this process? Explain your answer. 

- The most useful assignment in this process was blogging. I found that by having to look things up for myself, I retained the information better than if someone would tell me how to do it. I’m a hands on learner, and by having to do the finding for myself, I learned what exactly I needed to do to complete this project correctly. I used blogging to help me get the basics down for each section of my paper. It was very helpful.

2) What was the most helpful feedback you received at any stage – why was it helpful?

- The most positive feedback I received was the positive comments I got on my peer review rubrics. Feeling praised is always a god feeling. It helped me to make sure I was on the right track and everyone knew what I was trying to get across to them. Being told that I did something right, has always encouraged me to try harder because I don’t want to let the people around me down. Being told I needed to fix something, has similar traits, but I’d rather hear good news than bad.

3) What was most difficult for you during the drafting process? Easiest? WHY?

- The most difficult part during the drafting process was writing my results section. Being that it is an auto-ethnography, I was unsure how to go about it. I used other auto-ethnographies to help me in this process, but I wanted to make it my own. I struggled with that process the most. I wrote one draft that I was NOT happy with at all. I hated it and all I could think about was that SHITTY results section. That was a horrible feeling since the results section is the bread and butter!!! While looking for a journal to submit to, I came across a site for hyperhidrosis suffers and it gave me all the inspiration I needed to rewrite the results the way it should have been written, with emotion.

- The easiest part of the drafting process was combining my sections together and making them flow. I didn’t seem to worry a lot about this and I wrote like I had seen in other journals. Breaking sections up with headers helped in this process a lot. I am grateful for others research.

4) Where does your final essay best show your ability as a writer?

- I’m not exactly sure which part shows my best abilities. When writing something structured like a lit review or introduction, I feel it can go only one way, the right way. I know how to write formally which is what those sections are. I then think about the results section.  It shows my struggle and true emotions that keep the reader wanting to read about my life. I feel I understand the structure of writing which is a strength and also how to tug at the reader’s heart.

     I thought the peer review projects were very helpful. By correcting and reading someone else’s work, let me take a break from my own research and focus on a classmate’s work. Like Marlen said before, sometimes it’s not about getting something out of a project for myself, but helping others. I felt this project really let me help someone else, but it did help me too. It helped me look for problems within my own paper and see how others were organizing their thoughts, which gave me ideas for my own.

     Within my own research, Tyler found strengths I had and weaknesses. A strength within my research is that my topic is great. I knew previously that not many know about hyperhidrosis and Tyler confirmed that. He was also interested in the topic, which confirms that I am writing to an audience that is needed and presenting my own story. Also it is evident in my paper that this topic is important to me and very personal. Tyler picked up on this right away, which is what I was hoping to do.  A couple weaknesses I had were a few run-on’s, but I think it’s because I want to say so much and I forget to breathe sometimes. And Tyler also caught something really important, an accusation (the only way). I should never do that, and I’m glad he caught that!

     This project really helped me and I’m sure it helped my partner too. Peer reviews are very important!!!

Results

• A format accessible by the reader (graph, table, written text)
• All images should be explained in text
• Highlighting trends etc.
• Makes results meaningful
• Two ways to present results: 1) present all results then discussion or 2) present in parts followed by a discussion for each part

Discussion

• Interpretation of results
• Explanation
• Will connect to the introduction and research question
• Do findings agree, disagree, explain
• Active voice
• First person is okay
• Address each part of the study here
• Make references to others
• Do not introduce new results

Conclusion

• Frame thoughts and bridge ideas
• Final say
• Don’t introduce a new topic
• Don’t rephrase thesis
• Don’t include results or evidence
• Sums everything up and gives the reader an understanding for why they read this paper and how it will affect them

____________________________________________________________________________________________

My Articles

Results

• Be concise
• Use tables, graphs
• Present and illustrate findings
• Be objective, save interpretation for discussion
• Describe results
• Analyze data
• No raw data
• Don’t present data twice
• Logical order

Discussion

• Relate results to thesis
• Support or do not support
• Make sense of findings
• If it does not support, explain why
• Weakness to study
• Strengths to study
• Future direction

Conclusion

• Read over paper to summarize it here
• Should echo objective for the research
• Did you achieve the objective
• Remind reader of topics discussed
• What should the reader take away
• Don’t end open ended
• Strong and confident

My feelings about the last sections of this paper are mixed. I’m not sure if i can just present facts in my results, but then again it’s my story, my point of view. I don’t want it to see wordy and i want it to be clear cut. This will be something i will keep a look out for and try my best to do. Other than that, i’m excited to present my story and for someone else to read and be affected by it.

References

Deddus. (n.d.). How to Write a Strong Conclusion. How To Do Just About Everything!. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/how_2141341_write-strong-conclusion.html

Discussion. (n.d.). Psych 202. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from psych.hanover.edu/Classes/PSY220/ResultDisc.html

How to write a research paper. (n.d.). Rice University Web Calendar. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html

-          After combining my three sections together, I needed to make sure it flowed like it should. I did this by using transitioning sentences and by leaving the reader hooked by my last sentence. By doing this, it keeps the reader reading to the very last page of my journal article. I think the introduction needs more editing at this point. I found that I need to add some things to it, explain more, and also to give it a more hooked feeling. From here I will edit my introduction, keeping in mind the things mentioned above, and I will continue with the results part of the project. I am excited to keep going. I know things will start to fall into place better, and I already see it happening now.

1. Who will your research subjects be?
Myself. I am completing an auto-ethnography, therefore I am the subject.

2. Are there any potential dangers to your participants in undertaking this research?
There are no dangers in my research, other than an emotional process. The research question being addressed is still a touchy subject to me. This experience however has helped me, and I believe will continue to help me, to express my concern for my condition and my feelings about it at the same time.

3. How will you protect your participants from harm and safeguard their privacy?
I will protect myself and my privacy by letting myself all out there, but in a tasteful way that is beneficial to me and others reading my work. I am writing from my experience and in the end it is up to me as to what I say and don’t say.

4. What questions do you have about methods and data collection at this time and how will you answer them?
The only question I have about data collection and methods is how I can efficiently present my data in an auto-ethnographic way and in the proper way. How I will find these answers out is by doing some research on auto-ethnographies, their proper format, and ways to go about presenting my information.

• Answers how data is collected and how it was analyzed
• This helps the reader evaluate the results correctly and efficiently
• Many different methods and research should give reasons why it was chosen
• Discuss problems that are anticipated and the ones that did occur
• Sufficient information is needed for possible replication
• Common problems include: irrelevant details, unnecessary explanations, and problem blindness
• Different types of research include: analysis, case study, comparison, correlation-prediction, evaluation, design-demonstration, survey-questionnaire, status, theory construction, and trend analysis
• Keep in mind the purpose
• Use a passive voice
• Verb tense should be consistent

How to Write a Method Section

• Give details about research design, participants, equipment, materials, variables, and actions by the participants
•  Should contain enough information for others to repeat it 
• Use subheadings 
• Always write in past tense 
• Avoid unnecessary details that are not relvant to outcomes 
• Use proper formatting 
• Participants should be explained, how they were obtained and what they did 
• Describe the design used in the research and how the variables worked within the research
•  Procedure should be described in detail from what the participants did, how data was collected, and the steps in the process of research

Summary Content Provided By: Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to Write a Method Section . Psychology – Student Resources . Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologywriting/ht/method.htm

Paragraph One: Statistical data is presented and cited. There is reference to other’s work throughout this paragraph. No definitions are present, but there are references to what it is like for a Hyperhidrosis suffer’s (particularly a palmar Hyperhidrosis suffer) everyday life.

Paragraph Two: The aims of the study were presented here very clearly. The authors did not try to prove or disprove anything here, just stated this research topic/question.

Paragraph Three: The authors stated the types of patients they recruited for this study here and began to explain their methods of testing. Recruitment had specific guidelines that the authors followed.

Paragraph Four: How the authors tested anxiety, depression, and the other attributes they were looking for was explained here. The types of tests were mention, by name but no further detail was given about them.

Paragraph Five: This was short and to the point and mentioned the names of the programs used to analyze the data collected.

Paragraph Six: The results were stated here. Patients were broken down into categories, male and female. The mean age was also determined here.

Paragraph Seven: The categories were broken down again with association of type of Hyperhidrosis. Scores within each test were presented here and comments about normal ranges were noted.

Paragraph Eight: Another short paragraph, but useful. Comparison of scores between the groups were analyzed here and a reference to a table was given.

Paragraph Nine: This is the second part of the study were patients were treated with botulinum toxin A. Numbers are presented to show how many participated.

Paragraph Ten: Details about the test scores were given here about the patients chosen for this treatment and gave relevance to what was a normal range.

Paragraph Eleven: Indication that sweat production was reduced after treatment is noted here. And all values from the patients were reduced.

Paragraph Twelve: The aim of the study is restated here and it begins the discussion section of the paper. No major differences were found and that was stated here as well.

Paragraph Thirteen: Patients did not differ from normal population with scores, except for the quality of life section. An explanation of the scores of the treated patients was indicated. Also, the botulinum toxin A therapy was explained here (stating that it is not a first line treatment). All of this being said, the authors mentioned that they did not look at the duration of Hyperhidrosis of the patients and thus they developed a hypothesis about the duration and social phobia being linked, but mention they could not account for this because they did not test it.

Paragraph Fourteen: The botulinum toxin A therapy was said to be the most effective therapy for PFH. This statement is citied here by two sources. Examination of other studies is presented. They examined quality of life, like this study, but used different instruments and did not examine anxiety, depression, and social phobia.

Paragraph Fifteen: Knowledge of other studies, like theirs, was acknowledged here. They stated what they were able to report in regards to social phobia, depression, and anxiety with the patients that were treated. Their limitations were also explained here.

Paragraph Sixteen: This is where the authors summed up the whole experience. A general statement was given, and a statement about the treated patients was given as the final sentence.

What is the difference between the introduction and the lit review?
-The introduction hooks the reader, varies ways, and provides general background information to ease the reader into the article. The literature review is very specific, and shows indication of works done in comparison to the information being presented within the article itself. The literature reviews helps show accreditation to writer and the introduction helps the reader enjoy and understand what is being presented.
In what ways did the authors attempt to hook the reader’s interest?
-The authors attempted to hook the reader with a purpose to sweating and also with statistics about sweating. Also they used dramatic statements about how negatively it affects Hyperhidrosis people, and these statements were cited.
What are the a) purpose/objective, b) significance/importance, c) main research question, d) methods, e) results, and f) final conclusions/recommendations for future research and where in your outlines from item 1 above can each of these be found?
- The purpose (found in paragraph 2)  of this study was to find a correlation between focal Hyperhidrosis in relation to anxiety, depression, and social phobia and also to address these factors after treatment. The authors wanted to show the importance(found in paragraph 1) of Hyperhidrosis in a person’s life in comparison to the factors outlines above. The main research question (found in paragraph 2 ) the authors had was “is there a possible association between PFH and anxiety, depression, social phobia, and quality of life, and secondly…the treatment of these factors in a subgroup of patients treated with botulinum toxin A (343).” Their methods (found in paragraph 3,4,5) included a lot of testing using many different forms of programs to assess levels. After their levels were measured by different tests, questionnaires were distributed to the subgroup that received the treatment. Results (found in paragraph 6,7,8) for this study indicated the quality of life and other factors for the treatment group was increased. Final conclusion and recommendations (found in paragraph 15,16 ) for this study were indication that the length of time should be researched more and become a factor to these results.

Daily pattern of sweating and response to stress and exercise in patients with palmar Hyperhidrosis

Paragraph One: A definition of focal Hyperhidrosis is given. A lot of sources are cited within this paragraph. Types of test are mentioned along with their positives and negatives.

Paragraph Two: An explanation of permission to conduct this research was given here along with the permission of the patients.

Paragraph Three: The numbers of patients are mentioned along with the control number of patients. Diagnoses were confirmed by a clinic and other sweating areas were noted.

Paragraph Four: Comparison of age of the controls and patients are stated along with the length of the test and exceptions to the test.

Paragraph Five:  How the research was recorded was presented in this paragraph along with what the participants were expected to do.

Paragraph Six: How the data was analyzed was in this paragraph. The types of programs used were stated and the versions used.

Paragraph Seven: The participants were broken down into categories as to how many completed the journals, who lost theirs, etc. This is the beginning of the results section.

Paragraph Eight: The actual numbers are presented here, given by hours and how many comments were left.

Paragraph Nine: The authors computed the mean SES values for patients and controls and compared them to each other. They also indicated when the values increased or decreased. Figures present.

Paragraph Ten: Differences between the two groups were compared here in reference to the time of day. Figures present.

Paragraph Eleven: Overall scores were recorded here. This section had great and interesting findings. Figures present.

Paragraph Twelve: The difference between sexes is addressed here. The authors showed great attention to weekends and weekdays and the time of day.

Paragraph Thirteen: The authors left the last paragraph of this section to explain why they were able to test stress in relation to the events and then recorded the additional data.

Paragraph Fourteen: This is the beginning of discussion. The authors revealed how easy the testing was and understood by the participants and reported any distinct patterns noticed.  Sources cited here.

Paragraph Fifteen: The authors broke down the patterns found in the above paragraph and factored in their key concept stress and exercise.

Paragraph Sixteen: The tool used in this study is evaluated and shown to be effective. Their results correspond with others and a possible explanation for their results is given.

Paragraph Seventeen: Stress is compared to control and patient groups. The authors’ limitations are revealed here as well.

Paragraph Eighteen: This is a lengthy paragraph explaining why some of their data come out the way it did. Explanations for everything found are stated here and possible further studies indicated.

Paragraph Nineteen: This concludes everything the authors found about their test for Hyperhidrosis in a few short sentences.

What is the difference between the introduction and the lit review?
-Again as stated before, the introduction hooks the reader and provides general background information for the reader. The literature review is specific, and shows works done in regard to the article. The literature reviews gives accreditation to writer and the introduction helps the reader enjoy understand the information.
In what ways did the authors attempt to hook the reader’s interest?
- The authors used a definition in their introduction to hook the reader. It did not hook me in the way I thought it would, because I already know about this condition, but it would hook others who are unaware of the impact this condition has on people’s lives.
What are the a) purpose/objective, b) significance/importance, c) main research question, d) methods, e) results, and f) final conclusions/recommendations for future research and where in your outlines from item 1 above can each of these be found?
- The purpose (found in objective summary) of this study was to compare sweaty of patients with palmar Hyperhidrosis during daily activities. The significance (found in objective summary) to this research is that the authors wanted to find or demonstrate a pattern to their daily sweating. Their main research question (is not clearly stated, but assumed from title and summary) for this study reflected on how does daily sweating of a patient with palmar Hyperhidrosis compare to exercise and stress. Their methods (found in paragraph 2,3,4,5,6) indicated they chose 20 palmar Hyperhidrosis patients and 20 healthy non-sweating controls to participate in active journals of self assess ranges of sweat for seven days on an hourly basis. Results (found in paragraph 7,8,9,10,11,12,13) for this study indicate that there is a difference between the controls and patients. In the mornings and evenings the scores were low in comparison to mid-day. Their final conclusions (found in paragraph 18,19) indicated their method of study was successful in providing useful information to this genre and they recommend that a study be done in a more controlled environment and also to conduct a study in relation to feedback systems and sweat.