Students are expected to complete their research, including the writing and approval of the final document, within one year (3 academic terms, including the summer) of initial registration for NURS 800. If more than a year passes and the study is not complete, students must register for one additional cresit for each term until it is completed or until a second year has passed. After 2 years students must seek permission from Brenda Dede, PhD, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at Clarion University, to remain in the program. The check list below is designed to help students plan their activities so that they finish within the one-year time frame.

* Regarding plans for data analysis
** Regarding entering and analyzing data
*** Regarding description of study finding in final report

Addendum to the checklist

The project committee: The minimum number of individuals on the project committee is 2, preferred are 3.  The chair of the committee must be a member of the university faculty.  Other members may also be members of the faculty or may be representative of the community with expertise in the area being studied.

The first three chapters of the Scholarly Project: These are required for all Scholarly Projects because they essentially describe the project to be undertaken, the students' grasp of previous work in the area and the methods by which the work will be carried out.

Statistical consultation: When this is appropriate (based on the nature of the project), in order to arrange for statistical consultation, email Dr. Judith DePalma at jdepalma@ons.org. Students must be able to provide Dr. DePalma with the proposed research questions, proposed sample size and instruments to be used in collecting the data.

Initital presentation to Project Committee: The student circulates the document to members of the project committee when advised to do so by the project advisor. This document should be sent to the committee members 10 - 14 days before the scheduled meeting.

This meeting gives everyone involved the opportunity to review the plasn before IRB approval is sought and the work commences.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval: With the assistance of the project advisor, following the initial presentation to the committee, application is made to the IRB for approval of the study if it will involve living human subjects. IRB approval is sought from the IRB at the university that employs the Project Advisor.

    At Clarion University, http://www.clarion.edu/admin/facres/irb

    At Edinboro University, http://www.edinboro.edu/cwis/speced/hsresearch/humansubjects.htm

    At Slippery Rock, http://www.sru.edu/pages/2014.asp

Presentation of final product to Project Committee: The student circulates the final project outcome to members of the project committee when advised to do so by the project advisor. This document should be sent to the committee members 10 - 14 days before the scheduled meeting.

This is the opportunity for everyone to learn how the team's plans worked out and to view the final project outcome. The project committee is responsible for evaluating the final outcome and determining if it meets the standard for a master's level scholarly project. Other students and faculty are to be invited to the final meeting. This is the responsibility of the student who is expected to send an announcement via the MSN listserv at the same time she/he sends information. The Record of Scholarly Project, final presentation form is completed at this meeting.

Research presentation at one of the universities' research symposia: Students are expected to submit an abstract for presentation at the next regularly scheduled research symposium held at Clarion University, Edinboro University or Slippery Rock University. Students are expected to obtain the abstract submission form and submit it before the due date. Students are encouraged to consult with their research chair in preparing the abstract and formatting the presentation.