Doctoral Studies Orientation Applied Research Center (ARC)

The Applied Research Center (ARC)

Overview

ARC Faculty

Executive Dean of Research & Evaluation:Maryellen Maher, Ph.D.

Program Professors of Applied Research:– Soledad Argüelles, Ph.D.– Alex Edmonds, Ph.D.– Elda Kanzki-Veloso, Ph.D.– Tom Kennedy, Ph.D.

Professional StaffCoordinator– Ruth Chernet

Research Associates (IRB)

– Jennifer Dillon – Silvia Orta– Ashley Russom

Research Assistant (FFR)

– Robert Greene

Research Assistants I: – Camille Coke

Administrative Assistants:

– Keisha Fairclough– Katie Lyewsang

New Education Major (EdD) Nine Areas of Concentration

• Educational Leadership• Healthcare Education• Higher Education• Human Services Administration• Instructional Leadership• Instructional Technology and Distance Education • Organizational Leadership• Special Education • Speech-Language Pathology

Minors• Adult Education

• Autism

• Community College

• Conflict Resolution

• Curriculum Development

• Gerontology

• Human Resource Development

• Urban Education

Education Major:Applied Research Course Requirements

• Core Seminar: – Methods of Inquiry (6 credits)

• Research Elective (3 credits)

Transferable into Education Major:Applied Research Course Requirements

• Program Evaluation/Policy Analysis (this course is only offered for students who are transferring to the EdD major, and have already taken Research Design and Methods.)

Applied Research Electives

• Statistical Methods• Measurement, Testing, and Assessment• Survey Research• Qualitative Research• Advanced Program Evaluation*• Advanced Statistics*• Single Subject Research• Mixed Methods*pre-requisite required

Applied Research Center “Stats”

• Total number of Applied Research course sections taught (2005-2006)– Fall 2006: 59 sections– Summer 2006: 80 sections– Winter 2006: 74 sections– Fall 2005: 77 sections– Summer 2005: 55 sections– Winter 2005: 56 sections

Applied Research Center “Stats”

• Total number of committee chairs = 325+

Visit Our Web Site--Updated Frequently!

http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/arc

The Applied Dissertation Process

Benchmarks, seminars, committees, and other useful terms

The Applied Dissertation

• Is a detailed, accurate, and cohesive account of a scholarly investigation designed to answer one or more research questions.

• Has as its purpose to improve practice in education and human services.

• Is required for all Fischler School of Education and Human Services (FSEHS) doctoral students.

• Consists of a total of 12 credits.

Purpose of the Applied Dissertation

• Provides an opportunity for the student to engage in scholarly research activities

• Provides evidence of the student’s ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate data

• Demonstrates the student’s knowledge of the literature

• Displays the student’s ability to discuss fully and coherently the meaning of results

• Makes a contribution to the field/profession

Benchmarks of the Applied Dissertation Process

• Concept Paper (2 credits) Students should register in their 2nd term• Proposal (5 credits)Students should register in their 3rd term• Applied Dissertation (5 credits)Students should register in their 5th term

Overview of the Workshops

• Each benchmark is linked to a workshop designed to assist the student with the development of each document/benchmark

• These workshops can be found in the ARC Web site in the form of PowerPoint presentations with their respective recommended activities

• The workshops are facilitated by the student’s Applied Dissertation Committee Chair

Suggested Timeline 3-year Plan

• Concept Paper (approved by the 12th month)

• Proposal (approved by the 24th month)

• Applied Dissertation (final approval by the 36th month)

Suggested Timeline 2-year Plan

• Concept Paper (approved by the 6th month)

• Proposal (approved by the 12th month)

• Applied Dissertation (approved by the 24th month)

Grading System

• Each benchmark will carry a grade of: Pass or No Pass

– Concept Paper

– Proposal

– Applied Dissertation

Program Professor

Team Leader

AD CommitteeChair & Member

AD CommitteeChair & Member

AD CommitteeChair & Member

AD CommitteeChair & Member

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

Student

ARC AD Organizational Chart

Roles and Responsibilities of the Program Professor of Applied Research

• Serves as liaison to chairs, members and doctoral students

• Coordinates and supervises applied dissertation process

• Oversees the assignment of applied dissertation committee chairs and members

• Provides professional development and supervision for committee chairs and members

• Serves as applied dissertation chair/member

• Teaches R&E courses• Serves as internal consultant

Committee Process• Students should submit “Dissertation Interest Form”

– Those in the Education Major (enrolled Fall 2005 or after) should look for the “Student Interest Form-The Education Major” link on the ARC Web site (sometime within the first term to be assigned by the end of the term)

– Students must have the following information before they can complete the Dissertation Interest Form:

• Their complete NSU e-mail address• Cluster number or name• Name of Field Associate responsible for their cluster

– Students who do not know their field associate name should contact the Office of Enrolment Services at

• (954) 262-1546• 1-800-986-3223, Ext. 1546

Committee Process Cont.

• Committee Chair and Committee Member are assigned by Program Professor or Team Leader– By the end of first term

• Students will receive e-mail confirmation of committee assignment

• Student should immediately contact Committee Chair to begin seminar one activities

Roles and Responsibilities of Committee Chair

• Provides continued guidance, instruction, and support to the student

• Communicates regularly with the student

• Communicates regularly with team leader, committee member, and ARC staff

• Ensures that the student follows APA and ARC guidelines

• Reviews student’s IRB protocols before submission

• Updates the NSU Applied Research Tracking database

• Submits student’s grade

Roles and Responsibilities of Committee Member

• Provides feedback to the committee chair

• Reviews and critiques students’ documents following the committee chair review

• Provides critique to chair after concurrence, who then forwards it to student

• Responds to documents within required time lines

• Transmits reviews of documents directly to the committee chair, not to the student

Applied Dissertation

Process

↨Product

Student attends DSO Student submits online Dissertation Interest Form

(ARC Web site)

Team Leader assigns student to Applied Dissertation Committee Chair

and Member (CCM)

Student registers for Seminar 1: Concept

Paper (CP)

Student works on Concept Paper w/CCM

Student registers for Seminar 2: Proposal

(P)

Student works on Proposal w/CCM

Student registers for Seminar 3: Applied Dissertation (AD)

Student works on Applied Dissertation

w/CCM

Student submits IRB forms

Student begins data collection and analysis

Student initiates Final Approval

Process

CCM approve CP

CCM approve P

IRB approves

forms

CCM approve AD

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

2nd Term

1st Term

5th Term

NO

The Applied Dissertation

Considerations in Selecting a Research Topic

• Evaluate potential topics against the following:– Personal interest– Organizational support– Ethical considerations– Significance of study– Contribution to the field– Time requirements– Scope/Breadth/Depth– Economic factors

Sources of Research Topics

• ERIC, PsycINFO, Medline • Journals, books, and dissertations in your field• Conferences/workshops/presentations• Recommendations for further research• Coursework• Organizational leadership in work setting• Work setting experiences• Consultations with experts in the field• Distance Library Services (DLS)

Concept Paper• Approximately 10 to 12 pages in length (excluding

references and title page)• Should contain

– Title page– Introduction—Nature of the Problem– Background and Significance of the Problem– Preliminary Literature Review– Initial Research Question or Questions– Brief Description of Methodology and Research Design – Anticipated Outcomes– Timeline– References

Title Page• See Style Guide for the Applied Dissertation for format

of the title pagehttp://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/arc/online_guides/

index.htm• Should describe your proposed applied dissertation

succinctly• Useful in locating your applied dissertation in key

word searches• Should not be lengthy (not to exceed 10-12 words). See

pages 10-11 of the APA manual for further guidelines• Title may change during the applied dissertation

process

Introduction—Nature of the Problem• A problem is an actual situation that is hindering

the overall effectiveness of an organization• The impact of the problem on the organization

should be clearly stated• If the problem is too broad, the student may

choose to address only certain aspects of the problem (be concise and focused)

• The problem should be stated in the form of a declarative sentence

Introduction—Nature of the Problem (cont.)

• State the purpose of the proposed study, for example:– “The purpose of this project is to evaluate the

distance education program at NSU.”

Background and Significance of the Problem

• It is supported by available documented evidence that the problem exists (no data should be collected at this point)

• Define major issues related to problem• Provide a brief description of

– The setting (if applicable) where the problem exists and where the study will take place

– The profile of the organization and other pertinent general background information

Background and Significance of the Problem (cont.)

• Describes the student’s role within the organization

• Problem is in range of student’s influence• Includes other salient information

Preliminary Literature Review

• This succinct review of current literature should:– Provide further contextual background– Reveal issues related to your study– Describe similar problems in other organizations– Provide significance to your approach to the study

Initial Research Question or Questions• The research question is vitally important in a study• It serves as a “signpost” for the reader, foreshadowing

the specific details of the study• Reflects the problem that the researcher wants to

investigate• In quantitative studies, these typically fall into one of

three categories: descriptive, comparative, and correlational

• In qualitative studies, these are typically exploratory in nature, describe experiences

Brief Description of Methodology and Research Design

• This section will define how you are going to address the research question or questions

• The student should – Present an overview of the methodology– Describe the appropriateness of the methodology– Explain the rationale for selecting the methodology

Anticipated Outcomes

• Description of expected results of the study• Detail the importance of conducting the study as

well as possible impact on practice and theory

Time Line

• One of the key components of your AD• Go from end point to the beginning • Deadlines are liberating

References

• Must be according to APA style guidelines• List only those cited in narrative

Narrowing the Focus

Research Topic

Statement of the Problem

Research Question

Examples

Distance Education

Increased demand for online education

What are the characteristics of DE

learners?

Examples

Lo-Carbohydrate Diets

So many diets available!

How does Atkins compare to

South Beach?

Examples

HRT

Benefits vs. Risks

What are the effects

of treatment

?