Overview
Students will submit a brief (700 word) paper that expresses a well-reasoned and well-articulated opinion/viewpoint on a contemporary public health issue. Students are encouraged to explore any contemporary public health issue that interests them.
Take up a position on what should be done about your public health issue.
- This opinion should follow from the facts you have presented.
- Know your audience
- Public Health Opinion Editorials are not written exclusively for experts in the field –not for an audience with zero knowledge of public health.
- Avoid using large words unnecessarily, but do not be afraid to use public health terminology.
- Ex. Can use ‘prevalence, incidence, mortality’ etc. without defining them
- Language and Verbiage Tips• The language used by Public Health Professionals is very important. Our choice of terminology aims to be:
• Precise - Use words that describe what you mean exactly
• Ex. “Minorities” – which community specifically?
• Ex. “Africa” – which countries/regions?
• Ex. “Third world” or “Developing countries” – use Low-, Middle-, or High-Income classifications instead
• Ex. “Black” vs. “African American” – which one do you mean?
• Non-stigmatizing - Use person-centered language to avoid unintentionally stigmatizing language
• Ex. “People with substance abuse disorders” instead of “addicts”
• Ex. “People experiencing homelessness” instead of “the homeless”
• Ex. “People diagnosed with schizophrenia” instead of “Schizophrenics”
• Accessible – Avoid terms that are convoluted or highly technical.
• Ex. “The paper examined A and B” instead of “The paper used a doubly-robust marginal structural model to examine A and B” - The Use of Statistics as Evidence
Statistics are a powerful tool Public Health Professionals use to communicate population level health effects.
Improper interpretation of statistics can lead readers to come to the wrong (and perhaps opposite conclusions
When using statistics as evidence, try to make sure that:
The statistic comes from a population relevant to your paper (Who? What? When? Where?)
“Group X is 7 times more likely to experience Y.” --More likely than whom?
You cite the appropriate source, and quote the number exactly as it appears in the source Statistics are not fact, but they can be evidence
The proper interpretation of statistics takes lots of practice –don’t worry too much about this, just try to keep in mind where the statistic comes from, and what you are using it for
Other tips and tricks:
Use direct quotations sparingly –avoid long quotations
Cite all statistics, quotations, and information that is not common knowledge (even if you yourself know the info)
Grammar is important in opinion editorials. Please proofread your papers
I have provided a checklist for the opinion editorial and a past student example (can not be copied!)