4.1 ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOLS
4.1.1 Research Document Prose
The writing of seminar research papers and the dissertation should be with formal writing prose. Avoid contractions like, “can’t” or “don’t”. Instead, use “cannot,” “do not,” etc. Do not use first or second person voice unless instructed to do so in the research assignment. Avoid phrases such as, “What do you do with …?” or “I found in my study.” Instead, use phrases such as, “What does one do with …?” or “This researcher observed…”
Research papers follow all of the style requirements pertaining to the dissertation.
A research paper is more than a summary of the various resources reviewed. The writer must move beyond the summarization of resources to the critical evaluation of the research materials. Critical evaluation or critical reflection is more than telling the reader “This book says this and this book says that” about the research topic. Critical reflection also:
- Identifies the specific strengths and weaknesses of the resources;
- Describes the validity of the information and the reliability of the sources based on the information reported in other resources;
- Demonstrates how the sources agree or disagree with each other and/or other significant positions held by authorities in the subject area;
- Explains how the research findings impact the discipline(s) from which the topic arises;
- Draws conclusions based on the evidence presented.
Careful attention should be given to matters of style as noted in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Documents with spelling errors and significant English grammar errors will be returned ungraded for revision.
4.1.2 Stylistic Matters
Doctoral students are required to submit all course papers in the format style as found in the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the Capital Seminary PhD Program Style Protocol.
4.1.3 Submission of Assignments
PhD students are to submit all assignments in digital format. The professor may also require hardcopies.