Tools Used For Medical

Writing, Reference,
Writing Style, and
Resources
What is APA?
● Purpose: APA style aims to enhance scientific communication by
providing guidelines for clear expression and standardizing the
organization and content of research articles and book chapters
● Benefits: It simplifies writing and reading about research by
specifying what information to present, the order of presentation,
and the expected style
● Clarity and Familiarity: Researchers find it easier to write when
following APA guidelines, and readers benefit from the familiar
format

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 APA Style
● APA regulates three key aspects:
○ Stylistics
○ In-text citations
○ References
● The “Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association, Sixth Edition” provides guidelines for proper citation
and referencing

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 APA style point of view and voice
1. Use Personal Pronouns: Instead of saying “The authors
conducted an experiment,” opt for “We conducted an experiment”
2. Prefer Active Voice: Choose “We asked participants questions”
over “The participants have been asked questions by the
researchers”

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APA Style: Language
Clear: Be specific in your descriptions and explanations
Concise: Condense information whenever possible
Plain: Use simple, descriptive adjectives and minimize figurative
language

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 Types Of APA Papers
Literature Review:
Purpose: Summarize existing scientific literature related to your
research topic
Structure:
Title page
● Introduction
● List of references

Experimental Report:
Purpose: Describe your original experimental research
Structure:
● Title page
● Abstract

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Experimental Report:
Purpose: Describe your original experimental research.
Structure:
● Title page
● Abstract
● Introduction
● Method
● Results
● Discussion
● List of references
● Appendices (if needed)
● Tables and figures

General Format:
If your paper doesn’t fit either category, follow a standard format

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 General Format
Margins: Set 1-inch margins on all sides for standard 8.5"x11" paper.
Header and Page Number: Include a header (title) in the upper left-
hand corner of every page and a page number in the upper right-hand
corner. The cover page should only include “Running head”
Font: Use 10-12 pt. Times New Roman
Line Spacing: Double-space lines with no extra spacing after
paragraphs.
Sentence Spacing: Maintain two spaces between sentences

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Basics Of APA Format
It includes four steps
Title Page: where the page number of the title should need to be
mentioned
Abstract: Here the abstract of the title is written
Main body: The body of the text comes after the abstract
References: Then at the end comes references

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 Title Page
Title page basically includes:
Page header: Page header needed to be insert
● Title must be on left side of the page and the pagen number always
needed to be on the right side
● Running head will be found on the title page
● Title
● Title must need to be included at center
● Include your name

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 Main body text
Numbering the First Text Page as Page Number 3:
● Start the actual content of your paper on the third page, but label it
as page number 1
● This means that the title page and any other preliminary pages (such
as an abstract or table of contents) are not counted in the page
numbering
Typing and Centering the Title of the Paper:
● Place the title of your paper at the top of the page
● Center-align the title for a professional appearance
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Double-Spaced Text with Continuous Sections:
● Ensure that the entire text of your paper is double-spaced
● Avoid inserting extra line breaks between sections; let the content
flow naturally
Identifying Sources with Parenthetical In-Text Citations:
● Whenever you reference external sources (such as research papers,
books, or articles), include a parenthetical citation within the text
● The citation format typically includes the author’s last name and the
publication year (e.g., “Smith, 2022”)
Formatting Tables and Figures:
● If your paper includes tables, figures, or graphs, format them
consistently 12
Reference Page:

● Center the Title (References) at the top of the page without

bolding it
● Double-space the reference entries
● Flush left the first line of each entry and indented subsequent lines
● Order entries alphabetically by the authors’ surnames

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Reference Basics:
● Author Names: Invert authors’ names (last name first, followed by
initials, e.g., “Smith, J.Q.”)
● Alphabetization: Arrange reference list entries alphabetically by
the last name of the first author
● Title Capitalization: Capitalize only the first letter of the first word,
subtitles after colons or dashes, and proper nouns. Do not capitalize
the second word in hyphenated compounds
● Journal Titles: Capitalize all major words in journal titles.
● Italics: Italicize longer works (books, journals), but not shorter works
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Making the Reference List:
● Identify the Source Type: Determine whether it’s a book, journal
article, or webpage
● Find a Sample Citation: Refer to a textbook or the OWL APA Guide
for a sample citation
● Mirror the Sample: Adapt your citation based on the sample you
found
● Alphabetical Order and Indentation: List entries alphabetically
and indent subsequent lines (following “References: Basics”)
● Paraphrase and Summarize:15Provide a brief summary of the
 In text citation:
Basics:
● In academic writing, in-text citations serve the purpose of helping
readers find the full citation in the References section
● When referencing a source, include the author’s last name and the
publication year within parentheses
● For direct quotes or close paraphrases, also provide the page
number
● This practice ensures proper attribution and allows readers to locate
the original work
Formatting Quotations:
● Author and Source: Caruth (1996)
● Statement: Traumatic responses often involve a delayed,
uncontrollable recurrence of hallucinations and other intrusive
phenomena
● Paraphrased Summary: Trauma 16 can lead to persistent and
uncontrolled re-experiencing of events through hallucinations and
In text citation: Formatting a
summary
⚫ In-text citations help readers locate the cited source in the References
section of the paper.

⚫ Whenever you use a source, provide in parenthesis:

• the author’s name and the date of publication

• for quotations and close paraphrases, provide the author’s name, date
of publication, and a page number

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⚫ When quoting, introduce the quotation with a signal phrase. Make

sure to include the author’s name, the year of publication, the page
number, but keep the citation brief—do not repeat the information.

⚫ Caruth (1996) states that a traumatic response frequently entails a

● “delayed, uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations and

other
● intrusive phenomena” (p.11).

⚫ A traumatic response frequently entails a “delayed, uncontrolled

● repetitive appearance of hallucinations and other intrusive

phenomena”

● (Caruth, 1996, p.11). 18

In-text Citations: Formatting
Quotations
⚫ When quoting, introduce the quotation with a signal phrase. Make
sure to include the author’s name, the year of publication, the page
number, but keep the citation brief—do not repeat the information.

⚫ Caruth (1996) states that a traumatic response frequently entails a

● “delayed, uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations and

other
● intrusive phenomena” (p.11).

⚫ A traumatic response frequently entails a “delayed, uncontrolled

● repetitive appearance of hallucinations and other intrusive

phenomena” 19
 In-text Citations: Formatting a
Summary or Paraphrase
⚫ Provide the author’s last name and the year of publication in

parenthesis after a summary or a paraphrase. Though feminist studies

focus solely on women's experiences, they err by collectively
perpetuating the masculine-centered impressions (Fussell, 1975).

⚫ Include the author’s name in a signal phrase followed by the year of

publication in parenthesis. Recently, the history of warfare has been

significantly revised by Higonnet et al. (1987), Marcus (1989), and
Raitt and Tate (1997) to include women’s personal and cultural
responses to battle 20
In-text Citations: Signal Words
⚫ Introduce quotations with signal phrases, e.g. According to X. (2008),

“….” (p. 3). X. (2008) argued that “……” (p. 3). Use such signal verbs
as: acknowledged, contended, maintained, responded, reported,
argued, concluded, etc. Use the past tense or the present perfect
tense of verbs in signal phrases

⚫ In-text Citations: Two or More Works

⚫ When the parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order

them in the same way they appear in the reference list—the author’s
name, the year of publication—separated by a semi-colon. (Kachru,
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2005; Smith, 2008)
In-text Citations: A Work with
Two Authors
● When citing an electronic document, it’s best to use the author-date
style
● If the source lacks page numbers, you can identify the relevant
paragraph number or heading
● . For instance, in the “Mind over Matter” section, paragraph 6, Smith
(1997) discusses… (Please note that I don’t have access to specific
content from Smith’s work, so this is a generic example)
● To paraphrase and summarize it, you could say that Smith’s work
emphasizes the importance of mental resilience in overcoming
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challenges
 APA Headings:

 Level 1: Centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase headings

 Level 2: Left-aligned, boldface, uppercase and lowercase heading

 Level 3: Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period

 Level 4: Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading with a

period

 Level 5: Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period

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APA Headings Example Of Five
Level Heading System
 “Methods,” “Site of Study,” and “Participant Population”
 Under “Results,” it details “Spatial Ability” tests for teachers and
students
 The study also covers “Kinesthetic Ability”
 Overall, it presents a well-organized approach to methodology and
findings

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 APA Figures:
 Figure Components:

● Number: Place the figure number (e.g., Figure 1) above the figure
title and image in bold font
● Title: Provide a brief but descriptive title below the figure number.
Capitalize the title in italic title case
● Image: The actual graph, chart, photograph, or illustration
● Legend: If present, position the figure legend (or key) within the
borders of the figure to explain any symbols used

 Placement of Figures:
● Embed figures in the text after they are first mentioned (or “called
out”).
Alternatively, place each figure on a separate page after the referenc
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e list
 Reference Tools:
1. Referencing Tools: These tools help organize and format
references for academic work, including essays, research papers,
dissertations, and these
2. Definition: Tools can be software or online platforms that store and
format references
3. Importance: Choosing the right tool and consistently using it
throughout your research is crucial

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Terms Used For References:
1) Referencing Software: Tools for managing citations and creating
references
2) Reference Management Software: Software that helps organize
and format references
3) Citation Software: Applications for generating and managing
citations.
4) Literature Review Software: Tools to assist with literature review
and source organization
5) Research Paper Management Tool: Software for organizing and
managing research papers
6) Bibliography Software: Programs that create and maintain
bibliographies
7) Citation Manager: Tools specifically designed for handling citations
8) Research Paper Organizer:27Software to structure and manage
research documents
 Zotero
1) Zotero is a free referencing tool that streamlines research
management
2) With a browser extension, it detects content on web pages and lets
users add references to their personal library with a single click
3) The extension displays relevant icons (e.g., for books or articles) in
the address bar
4) Users can also extract citation information from PDFs
5) To include references in documents, they can drag and drop
citations from Zotero
6) The tool supports various citation formats
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 Mendeley
● Mendeley Overview:
○ Mendeley serves as a reference manager and academic social
network
○ It helps organize research, facilitate online collaboration, and
discover new studies. Key Features:
○ Account Creation: Sign up for a Mendeley account online
○ Desktop Tool: Install the Mendeley Desktop Tool on your
computer
○ Importing Papers: Easily import papers from your hard drive
by dragging and dropping files
○ Reference Lists: Import reference lists from other managers or
search web databases via Mendeley Literature Search
○ Web Importer: Use the Mendeley Web Importer browser plugin
to import documents from anywhere on the web
o PDF Annotation: Annotate and add notes to PDF documents within
MendeleyCloud Sync: Sync your 29 libraries to the cloud for remote
 Endnote
 Import Sources: EndNote allows direct import of references from

online databases (e.g., PubMed, Web of Science) or manual input for

unpublished sources

 Citation Integration: Users can insert references while writing

using the EndNote Word Addin

 Citation Formats: EndNote supports various citation styles

 Automatic Bibliography: The tool generates bibliographies based

on cited references 30
 Ref. Works
 RefWorks is a web-based reference management tool similar to
EndNote
 It allows users to store and update their citation database online,
accessible from any computer with an internet connection.
Institutions subscribe to RefWorks for their students, faculty, and
staff
 The Write-n-Cite Microsoft Word Addin enables users to insert
references in text and create bibliographies in various formats

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 Citavi
● Reference Management: Citavi combines searching for sources,
content analysis, and paper structuring
● Importing Content: Easily add PDFs by drag-and-drop or use ISBN
for books and articles
● Web Integration: The browser plugin lets you import quotes,
images, and web pages
● Thoughts Option: Record insights while reading research papers
● Task Management: Add tasks to manage project deadlines
● Paper Structuring: Create an outline, drag-and-drop references,
and download it as a Word document
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 Paper Pile
● GoogleDocs Addon: PaperPile is an addon specifically designed for
GoogleDocs, making it a convenient choice for managing references
and bibliographies
● Google Account Integration: Linked to your Google account,
PaperPile offers seamless access and synchronization
● Compatibility with Citation Managers: It works well alongside
other citation managers like Zotero and EndNote, allowing easy
importation of citations into GoogleDocs
● Citation Features: With PaperPile, you can insert citations, format
them, and generate bibliographies in various formats
● Importing from Google Scholar: Easily import papers from Google
Scholar into PaperPile
● PDF Storage: If full-text PDFs are available, PaperPile lets you store
them in GoogleDrive
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 Jab Ref.
● JabRef is a free and regularly updated reference management tool
designed for Latex users
● It simplifies the process of managing citations and creating
bibliographies
● Users can download citations in BibTex format directly into JabRef, as
well as export references from various sources simultaneously by
selecting them on a webpage
● The software generates a .bib file containing all references, assigning
each a unique BibTexKey
● This file can be integrated into Latex documents with the
‘addbibresource’ command, allowing users to cite sources using the
‘cite’ command and BibTexKey
● JabRef supports numerous citation styles and bibliography formats

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Papers
 Discover and Organize: Papers helps users find and organize
research materials efficiently
 Unique Search Functionality: It allows simultaneous searches
across multiple search engines using keywords
 Customizable Reference Organization: Users can annotate, rank,
and color-code references
 Advanced Search Queries: Complex queries within the research
library are possible
 Collaboration: Sharing research collections with colleagues via the
online web interface
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 Docear
● Categorization and Annotation: Docear offers a graphical
interface to organize PDFs into topics and annotate them.
Annotations are easily accessible via an icon next to each PDF
● Interactive Outlining: Users can create paper outlines
interactively, dragging annotations and references into relevant
sections within the interface
● Export Options: Once the outline is complete, it can be
downloaded in various document formats

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 Adobe Frame Maker:
● Adobe FrameMaker is a sophisticated document processor from
Adobe, designed for creating large and complex structured
documents
● Originally developed by Frame Technology Corporation before being
acquired by Adobe, it is an alternative to Microsoft Word from the MS
Office suite
● Both applications allow for editing, formatting, and customizing
document layouts with online support
● The text also mentions that there will be dedicated chapters on using
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Adobe FrameMaker for technical documents
 Adobe Robohelp:
● RoboHelp is an industry-standard tool used for creating help systems
and automated content in desktop and web-based applications
● When users press F1 in standard software applications, the help
window with links and content is generated using RoboHelp
● Additionally, RoboHelp can be used to create various types of
technical documentation, including user manuals, articles, and
guidebooks
● In summary, RoboHelp serves as a versatile resource for both online
help and printed documentation

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 Text Editor For HTML:
● Effective for Beginners: Notepad and similar text editors are
useful for beginners learning HTML scripting
● Moderate-Sized Help Files: They are sufficient for creating
moderate-sized help files without extensive online documentation
● Formatted GUI: These tools offer a user-friendly, formatted
graphical interface for easy edits
● WYSIWYG and Multi-Language Support: Notepad++ supports
WYSIWYG editing and printing in multiple languages
● Learn XML: Technical writers can also use these tools to learn XML,
which is valuable in the technical writing domain
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 Other Tools
 WordPress: An open-source content management system for
blogging and website creation. It offers various layout and formatting
features
 Microsoft Visio: A paid diagramming tool used for engineering
designs, flowcharts, architectural diagrams, and more
 Windows Snipping Tool: An advanced screenshot utility with GUI
features, allowing technical writers to capture full screens or specific
areas via freehand cropping

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 List Of Resourcing Software:
● Word Processors: Microsoft Office, Open Office, and Scrivener
● PDF Readers: Adobe Acrobat, Foxit Reader (free), Bluebeam Revu,
and Skim (free)
● Project Planning and Mind Mapping: MindManager, Docear
(free), and Evernote
● Backup Solutions: Carbonite and Crashplan
● File Transfer: Filezilla (free) and Dropbox
● Time Tracking and Invoicing: TraxTime, QuickBooks,
WorkingPoint, and Freshbooks
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● Speech Recognition and Transcription:

○ ExpressScribe (free): Used for transcription tasks.

○ Dragon Naturally Speaking: A popular voice recognition

software

● Medical Dictionaries, Grammar, and Spellcheckers:

○ Stedman’s Plus Medical Spellchecker: Provides medical

terminology assistance.

○ Taber’s Medical Dictionary:

42 A comprehensive medical