Client wants a draft two days from now. PROJECT REQUEST 1. You must agree to follow ALL of the components that are listed in the guidelines, structure, and ACP Outline with in this and upcoming documents. If you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the document, you must receive written approval before a change can be made. 2. You must be a PhD level writer with an expertise in Marriage and Family Therapy and working with elementary aged students. 3. You must also have Some familiarity with Social Emotional as it is used in with young children in South Florida. 4. You must have experience writing Critical Reviews of Literature at a doctoral level 5. Written and oral Presentation components are also required and must be produced in order to complete this project. Produce an Applied Clinical Project. 6. A presentation PowerPoint and notes that correspond to the written Applied clinical project must be completed and as part of this project for completion 7. Frequent status updates 8. Ongoing collaboration with the writer throughout this process. 9. Access to review work in progress to assess its viability 10. Unlimited free revisions 11. A total of 5 chapters plus addendums, etc. 12. 1st 3 chapters written in future tense as a proposal 13. Completed document with all components including 5 chapters written in past tense. (Detailed instructions are provided later in this document.) 14. A Biographical Sketch (optional). Will be added by me to the end of the Applied Clinical Project. Please Include this information any place that it needs to be documented, . “table of contents 15. Chapters 1-3 as a proposal with future tenses delivered within 3-4 weeks. 16. Complete Project including Presentation delivered within 6-8 weeks 17. Below you will find everything given to us by the university regarding writing and submitting an Applied Clinical Project. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL GUIDELINES in this document. 18. For your convenience, I’ve included both a basic outline of the project and additional ACP samples for reference. 19. Please make sure to Read the entire document. The outline was provided as a quick reference guide; but many pertinent details are required for the ACP and were NOT included in the outline. 20. The published ACP documents were also provided as an example of the level of work that is expected. 21. Thank you! Important perspective and relevant content that must be included. PROJECT REQUEST 1. You must agree to follow ALL of the components that are listed in the guidelines, structure, and ACP Outline with in this and upcoming documents. If you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the document, you must receive written approval before a change can be made. 2. You must be a PhD level writer with an expertise in Marriage and Family Therapy and working with elementary aged students. 3. You must also have Some familiarity with Social Emotional as it is used in with young children in South Florida. 4. You must have experience writing Critical Reviews of Literature at a doctoral level 5. Written and oral Presentation components are also required and must be produced in order to complete this project. Produce an Applied Clinical Project. 6. A presentation PowerPoint and notes that correspond to the written Applied clinical project must be completed and as part of this project for completion 7. Frequent status updates 8. Ongoing collaboration with the writer throughout this process. 9. Access to review work in progress to assess its viability 10. Unlimited free revisions 11. A total of 5 chapters plus addendums, etc. 12. 1st 3 chapters written in future tense as a proposal 13. Completed document with all components including 5 chapters written in past tense. (Detailed instructions are provided later in this document.) 14. A Biographical Sketch (optional). Will be added by me to the end of the Applied Clinical Project. Please Include this information any place that it needs to be documented, . “table of contents 15. Chapters 1-3 as a proposal with future tenses delivered within 3-4 weeks. 16. Complete Project including Presentation delivered within 6-8 weeks 17. Below you will find everything given to us by the university regarding writing and submitting an Applied Clinical Project. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL GUIDELINES in this document. 18. For your convenience, I’ve included both a basic outline of the project and additional ACP samples for reference. 19. Please make sure to Read the entire document. The outline was provided as a quick reference guide; but many pertinent details are required for the ACP and were NOT included in the outline. 20. The published ACP documents were also provided as an example of the level of work that is expected. 21. Thank you! 1. My working title and subject for the articles that will be critically reviewed is: “The efficacy of using Social Emotional Learning with students in Broward County Elementary schools.” 2. Use the perspectives from on Social Emotional Learning as a starting point. The site can provide varies additional references for content. 3. Discuss Social Emotional Learning as it exists in elementary schools located in South Florida, specifically broward county 4. My working title and subject for the articles that will be critically reviewed is: “The efficacy of using Social Emotional Learning with students in Broward County Elementary schools.” 5. If the availability of articles that discuss SEL in broward county is limited, you can then amend your focus to include, South Florida or Florida. Deliverables 1. ACP proposal write-up (Chapters I, II, and III) The proposal should be written in future tense because the student is proposing their ACP study to their committee. 2. ACP proposal defense (PowerPoint & Notes) 3. Application for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval 4. Final ACP write-up (all five chapters) Now that the study is completed, the proposal must be revised to past tense instead of future tense. 5. Final defense (PowerPoint & Notes) 6. Final revisions and submission of PDF Outline for Critical Review of Literature Chapter 1: Introduction • Introduce and discuss general topic of interest • Describe personal interest in the topic • Provide background information of the topic, including a summary of the major findings related to your topic • Identify the gap in knowledge • Identify the purpose of the ACP (., the goal(s) of the critical review/analysis of the literature) and provide brief overview of the project • State the significance of the topic (Why is it important?) o For example, what are the unresolved issues related to the topic? Are the major findings consistent across studies or are there conflicting conclusions? Are there social concerns or educational, national, or international issues? • Provide definitions of terms or core concepts Chapter 2: Method/Review Process • Detailed description of the steps and procedures used • Identify which databases you searched and the date range for the articles (include rationale for why you selected this date range) • Identify the criteria for inclusion • Key search terms/words used • How many articles/documents/books were identified and how many were excluded? o Identify the criteria for exclusion (., non-English language, dissertation/theses, theoretical articles, textbooks) • Identify final sample (., number of articles and which journals they were published in) Chapter 3: Summary of Articles/Studies • Narrative systematic review of the articles/studies • Organize according to major content themes • Provide details about: o Quantitative or qualitative study, location, demographics, sample size, etc. o Research question o Main findings, conclusions, recommendations Chapter 4: Analysis/Critique of Studies • Discuss your analysis/evaluation of the studies • Which components are working or are effective? • Where are the gaps/shortcomings? Chapter 5: Discussion • Integrate all of the content theme summaries into broader conclusions • Provide recommendations • Present proposed idea (programs, assessment tool, etc.) • Implications for various stakeholders (., children, couples, families, society, the field of family therapy) • Future directions for research • Conclusion I will send this again in another document INTRODUCTION The applied clinical project (ACP) constitutes an original work deemed to demonstrate a level of learning and scholarship commensurate with the awarding of the Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy degree (.). It is to be a scholarly work that makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge of the student’s discipline, and is considered to be a career launching undertaking. Each student is required to complete and to defend an ACP prior to receiving their degree. As such, the successful completion of the ACP process represents the culmination of the student’s formal education and a level of expertise within their chosen discipline. At the time of its culmination, the student should be able to articulate and demonstrate to other mental health professionals their unique area of systems-based practice expertise. The ACP is the capstone experience of the . degree process and is a demonstration of the student’s ability to carry out a high quality, professional program of systemically based treatment. Students are encouraged to develop research topics that are not only of interest to them, but also meaningful to the field of couple/marriage and family therapy at large. It is highly recommended that students begin thinking about a general idea of an ACP topic early in their program. The ACP should take the form of clinical action research (data based analytic study), in-depth critical analysis of literature, or single-case research study. The student may choose the most appropriate ACP design to answer their research/clinical questions, however, the project must have an applied clinical component. Clinical action research requires approval of human subjects by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The other two ACP designs do not require IRB approval. Students can also propose a different ACP design, which must be approved by the chair and committee members. The ACP should be a project the student carries out under supervision of the committee chair from concept, to proposal, to clinical application/intervention, and program implementation or final evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention or program in a real-world setting. During the two research courses, students will be developing components of the manuscript, such as an Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, and IRB proposal (if applicable), that will lead to an ACP. This document details the procedures for completing the ACP as required by the Department of Couple and Family Therapy, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) at Nova Southeastern University. The ACP process entails the following steps which will be addressed in this document in detail. I. Content of the Applied Clinical Project Proposal II. Applied Clinical Project Proposal Defense III. ACP Outline for Critical Review of Literature IV. Structure of the ACP V. Chapter descriptions VI. Outlines for in-depth critical analysis of the literature VII. ACP process and procedures VIII. Writing style and format I. Content of the Applied Clinical Project Proposal After the formation of the Applied Clinical Project committee, the student must develop a formal Applied Clinical Project proposal, the first three chapters of the Applied Clinical Project. While individual committees may function in slightly different ways, the student first should discuss the research question for the Applied Clinical Project with the committee supervisor and the committee members. The student should confer with the committee as to how to proceed with the development of the proposal. In writing the proposal, the student should assume the readers to be intelligent individuals who are knowledgeable in the discipline, but who may not be experts in the particular area addressed by the proposal. Hence, while the proposal should not be written as a primer, sufficient background and definitions should be provided to enable the reader to grasp readily the concepts being addressed. The proposal should be a well written and a professionally appearing document. In producing the Applied Clinical Project, the student must follow all guidelines detailed in the section of this document entitled “Format and Style of the Applied Clinical Project.” Organization of the Proposal Applied Clinical Project proposals typically contain at least three major sections: the Introduction, the Literature Review, and the Methodology. These sections, however, may vary with the nature of the Applied Clinical Project. In some qualitative research approaches, the literature section may appear after the Data Analysis chapter or there may be more than one literature review chapter in the completed work. In any event, the student should clarify the content and organization of the proposal with his or her supervisor in advance of writing it. All of the components of the proposal are depicted in Table 1. Table 1: The Components of a Proposal Preliminary Pages Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Tables (if needed) List of Figures (if needed) Abstract Body Chapter I: Introduction Chapter II: Review of the Literature Chapter III: Methodology References Appendices Each section is described briefly below with an example in the Appendices. Title page. The title page contains the title of the proposal, the name of the student, and other information. The title should describe concisely the proposed study using the appropriate key words. Words which contribute nothing to the description should be omitted. For example, phrases such as “A Study of . . .” contribute nothing and should not be used. The number of words in the title should not exceed 15. Copyright page. The copyright page contains a copyright designation, the name of the student, and the month and the year of the proposal defense. The month and year is updated after the final submission. Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures. The Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures should be prepared similar to those in the front of this document. Please review carefully the example in the appendices. Abstract. The abstract should tell the reader what the Applied Clinical Project proposal is about. The student should summarize the key points of the document, including the area of inquiry, the research question, and the method. The maximum length for an Applied Clinical Project abstract, as specified by Dissertation Abstracts International, is 350 words. This may be less for the proposal phase; more for the final abstract. Body. The body of the Applied Clinical Project proposal usually consists of three chapters: Introduction, Review of the Literature, and Methodology. The nature and number of these chapters may not be appropriate for all Applied Clinical Project proposals. However, variations from the chapters listed should be cleared in advance with the student’s supervisor and committee. Introduction. The first section of the body of the proposal should provide the introduction to the inquiry domain of the proposal. After presenting this domain, the student should then focus the study by presenting the research question(s) to be addressed by the Applied Clinical Project. In this discussion, the student should cite relevant literature as necessary to define the inquiry domain and to support the pursuit of the research question(s). At the conclusion of the chapter, the reader should have a clear understanding of the area to be addressed in the Applied Clinical Project. Review of the literature. The review section should be a critical discussion and examination of the literature relevant to the inquiry domain and the Applied Clinical Project and question(s) and should logically flow out of the Introduction. The extent of the review is, in part, determined by the committee, but all relevant research which articulates the inquire domain and bears on the Applied Clinical Project question(s) should be included. Every effort should be made to include the most recent relevant literature. Historic literature should be included only to the extent that it is directly relevant or necessary to place the research question(s) in context. At the conclusion of the literature review, there should be a section in which the student makes a statement that brings the singular focus of the study to light. This statement should be something to the effect of, “Given the preceding discussion, the question (or questions) addressed by the proposed research is . . .” This statement should be logically related to the inquiry domain (articulated in the Introduction) and to the literature review. Methodology. While all aspects of the proposal are important, the methodology section is critical, as it presents the details of the project process. Although the exact content of this section will vary as a function of the nature of the particular project? an introduction of the choice of paradigms and methodology should be a clear guide of how you will proceed with your research. Generally the methodology section should include the following topics: 1. Data Collection. Answers to the questions of who, what, why, where, etc. need to be clearly identified. Participants and/or sites: Who or what are they? Where are they located? Why were they selected? How were they chosen? How will access be obtained? What are the ethical concerns regarding access (such as confidentiality)? When and how often will you meet with participants? etc. 2. Self of the Researcher: Include detailed description of what posture(s) you will take as a researcher, for example, participant-observer, clinical interviewer, researching therapist, etc. Answer such questions as: How do these roles fit with the research questions and theoretical framework?; What is your prior experience, research or otherwise, that affects this study [such as researcher bias]?; etc. 3. Data gathering: Include detailed rationale and descriptions of what will be done, when, how, for how long, why, etc. 4. Procedures or data processing: Give sufficient detail for an independent researcher to replicate the study. 5. Data Analyses: Describe the rationale for, and the various steps of, the proposed analytic process, whether qualitative, graphical, statistical, or other). 6. Trustworthiness of the Method: Discuss issues such as validity, reliability, ethics, and generalizability. Base this information relative to the method used, since the language of each method varies. References. The references appear after the text. They should be formatted according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.,), which, along with other relevant style guides, is discussed further in the “Form and Style of the Applied Clinical Project” section in these guidelines. These are very precise guidelines, and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure correctness. Appendices. The need for an Applied Clinical Project to be documented completely so as to permit independent replication usually requires the inclusion of appendices. Appendices typically contain materials that help to explain what has been done, but that are either too bulky or too tangential to incorporate in the text. The instructions given to the subjects/participants, consent forms, and original instruments or questionnaires are some of the materials that may appear in appendices. Some committees may require the student to include the raw data, such as transcripts or field notes, in an appendix. II. Applied Clinical Project Proposal Defense The following guidelines are to be observed in the proposal defense process: 1. The supervisor will preside over the proposal defense proceedings. 2. During the proposal defense, the student will make a 30 to 45 minute presentation and will describe the proposal in detail. After the oral presentation, the student should be prepared to answer all relevant questions. 3. The defense must provide an opportunity for the faculty and students to ask questions and to offer constructive feedback. 4. After the presentation and question sections are completed, the student and others will exit the room; the Committee will convene to deliberate. The committee members alone will have the final determination regarding the status of the proposal (., pass or fail) and any modifications and/or revisions to be made to the Applied Clinical Project. 5. The proposal must be unanimously accepted by the committee. Outline for Critical Review of Literature Chapter 1: Introduction • Introduce and discuss general topic of interest • Describe personal interest in the topic • Provide background information of the topic, including a summary of the major findings related to your topic • Identify the gap in knowledge • Identify the purpose of the ACP (., the goal(s) of the critical review/analysis of the literature) and provide brief overview of the project • State the significance of the topic (Why is it important?) o For example, what are the unresolved issues related to the topic? Are the major findings consistent across studies or are there conflicting conclusions? Are there social concerns or educational, national, or international issues? • Provide definitions of terms or core concepts Chapter 2: Method/Review Process • Detailed description of the steps and procedures used • Identify which databases you searched and the date range for the articles (include rationale for why you selected this date range) • Identify the criteria for inclusion • Key search terms/words used • How many articles/documents/books were identified and how many were excluded? o Identify the criteria for exclusion (., non-English language, dissertation/theses, theoretical articles, textbooks) • Identify final sample (., number of articles and which journals they were published in) Chapter 3: Summary of Articles/Studies • Narrative systematic review of the articles/studies • Organize according to major content themes • Provide details about: o Quantitative or qualitative study, location, demographics, sample size, etc. o Research question o Main findings, conclusions, recommendations Chapter 4: Analysis/Critique of Studies • Discuss your analysis/evaluation of the studies • Which components are working or are effective? • Where are the gaps/shortcomings? Chapter 5: Discussion • Integrate all of the content theme summaries into broader conclusions • Provide recommendations • Present proposed idea (programs, assessment tool, etc.) • Implications for various stakeholders (., children, couples, families, society, the field of family therapy) • Future directions for research • Conclusion III. STRUCTURE OF THE APPLIED CLINICAL PROJECT A completed ACP usually consists of five chapters, which is the main body of the paper, and other administrative components. The chapters may vary with the nature of the ACP. For example, an in-depth critical analysis of the literature may have four chapters instead of five. In some qualitative research approaches, the literature section may appear after the data analysis section or there may be more than one literature review chapter in the completed work. In any event, the student should clarify the content and organization of the proposal with their chair in advance of writing it. The order of the sections is listed, below. • Title Page • Copyright Page • Committee Signature Page • Acknowledgements • Table of Contents • List of Tables (if applicable) • List of Figures (if applicable) • Abstract • Chapter I: Introduction and Setting • Chapter II: Literature Review • Chapter III: Methods • Chapter IV: Results • Chapter V: Discussion • References • Appendices (if applicable) • Biographical Sketch (optional) The ACP is to be written and produced as a completed document in a specified format. In writing the ACP, the student should assume the readers to be intelligent individuals who are knowledgeable in the discipline, but who may not be experts in the particular area addressed by the ACP. Hence, while the ACP should not be written as a primer, sufficient background and definitions should be provided to enable the reader to grasp readily the concepts being addressed. The ACP should be a well written and a professionally appearing document of publishable quality. More information is provided in the Writing Style and Format section. The proposal consists of the first three chapters and the final ACP includes all five chapters. More information about the proposal and final ACP is available in the ACP Process and Procedures section. Administrative Components of ACP Following are descriptions of each of the administrative components in the ACP. Title Page. The title page contains the title of the proposal, the name of the student, and other information. The title should describe concisely the proposed study using the appropriate key words. Words which contribute nothing to the description should be omitted. For example, phrases such as “A Study of …”contribute nothing and should not be used. There is no specified title length; however, APA Style guidelines recommend keeping the title focused and concise. Copyright Page. The copyright page contains a copyright designation, the name of the student, and the month and the year of the defense. The month and year are updated after the Final Defense, and again after the final PDF document is submitted. Committee Signature Page. After the student completes the final revisions, the student must obtain signatures of the chair and other committee members indicating their approval of the ACP. Acknowledgements. In the acknowledgements it is customary to thank those who have supported you throughout your ACP process, including professional and personal acknowledgements. This may include: funding bodies (., fellowship, grant, or scholarship), your chair, committee members, other faculty and staff, supervisors, colleagues/peers, librarian, editors/proofreaders, family, and friends. Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures. See Appendix C for example of how to format the Table of Contents, List of Tables (if applicable), and List of Figures (if applicable). Abstract. The abstract should tell the reader what the ACP is about. The student should briefly summarize the key points of the document, including the area of inquiry, the research question, the methodology, main results/findings, and key implications and conclusions. Because the abstract is a summary of the ACP study, it is generally best to complete the it last after the main body chapters are completed. APA Style guidelines suggest limiting the abstract to 250 words. For the proposal, the abstract will only include the area of inquiry, the research question, the methodology include be shorter, so the abstract will be shorter during this phase and longer for the final phase. References. The references appear after the Chapter V. They should be formatted according to the APA manual (7th ed.) guidelines. Appendices. The need for an ACP to be documented completely so as to permit independent replication usually requires the inclusion of appendices. Appendices typically contain materials that help to explain what has been done, but that are either too bulky or too tangential to incorporate in the text. The instructions given to the subjects/participants, consent forms, and original instruments or questionnaires are some of the materials that may appear in appendices. Some committees may require the student to include the raw data, such as transcripts or field notes, in an appendix. Biographical Sketch (optional). This is a brief, one or two-page, biographical sketch of the student. It is written in prose form and not as a curriculum vita. A typical biographical sketch will provide some information about the student’s life, educational background, work experiences, research, and publications. IV. CHAPTER DESCRIPTIONS The chapter descriptions are overall guidelines for all types of ACP designs. However, the nature and number of these chapters may not be appropriate for all ACPs, and variations from these guidelines should be approved in advance with the student’s chair and committee members. It is recommended that the following information be used as a suggested outline for the clinical action research ACP design of what to include in each chapter. The purpose of clinical action research design is to illustrate a student’s ability to conduct action research, implement clinical change, and evaluate clinical outcome in a real clinical setting. The clinical action research study will consist of Introduction and Setting, Literature Review, Methods, Findings, and Discussion chapters. Because clinical action research will involve human subjects as participants and co-researchers, students must fully comply with all of the requirements of NSU’s Institutional Review Board, including securing consent to participate as research subjects. Chapter I: Introduction and Setting The first chapter of the body of the proposal should provide an overview of the ACP and why it is important to the field. It includes several sections, described below. At the conclusion of the chapter, the reader should have a clear understanding of the area to be addressed in the ACP. Start the chapter by introducing the topic of interest/inquiry, and, in general terms, what the ACP study will accomplish. At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter I and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter II. The chapter should also include the sections described below. Background of the Problem. Summarize the major findings related to the topic of inquiry. What is known about the topic? What are some unresolved issues and/or contradictory findings? Cite relevant literature as necessary to define the inquiry domain and to support the pursuit of the research question(s). You will provide a detailed review of the literature in Chapter II. Definition of Terms. In this section provide definitions for key terms used in the ACP. Only include terms that knowledgeable readers may not necessarily be familiar with, and/or terms that may have more than one meaning. Depending on the nature of the ACP, it may be more appropriate to define key terms the first time they are mentioned rather than having a separate section listing the definitions. Statement of the Problem. Describe the need for your ACP study based on current findings in the topic of inquiry (as discussed in the Background of the Problem section). Identify the specific problem or issue the ACP seeks to address. Purpose of the Study. Briefly summarize the components of your study. Identify the research aims and research question(s), the research design (., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods; action research, in-depth critical analysis of the literature, single-case design, program evaluation, appreciative inquiry), the sample that will be used, the location of the study, and how you will collect the data (., semi-structured interviews, online survey). You will provide more detailed information about your methodology in Chapter III. Setting (or Context of the Study). Describe the clinical agency setting in the context of the ACP. Which individuals will be involved in the project? What is the mission and goals of the agency? Where is the agency located and what populations do they serve? What are the primary treatment approaches utilized? Etc. Significance of the Study. Describe why it is important to address the problem/issue. Why is the project worthwhile and what real-world application will it have? How is it significant for various stakeholders and how will they be able to use this knowledge (., participants in your study, family, policy makers, the field of couple and family therapy)? How will this knowledge improve the human condition and advance society? Theoretical Framework. Describe the foundational theory used to inform the ACP research. Include information about the developers of the theory and key concepts. In Chapter V, you should relate the results of your study back to the theoretical framework. Depending on the nature of the ACP, this section may be more appropriately placed in Chapter II. Chapter II: Literature Review (or Synopsis of the Field) The literature review chapter should be a critical discussion and examination of the empirical literature relevant to the topic of inquiry and research question(s) and should logically flow out of the Introduction. The extent of the review is, in part, determined by the committee, but all relevant research which articulates the inquiry domain and bears on the ACP question(s) should be included. Every effort should be made to include the most current relevant literature. Historic literature should be included only to the extent that it is directly relevant or necessary to place the research question(s) in context. At the beginning of the chapter include a paragraph that indicates the purpose of the chapter and how the major sections of the chapter are organized. Establish the need for the ACP study by comparing and contrasting existing studies and how it relates to the purpose of the ACP. Organize the studies by main themes/content areas directly related to the topic of inquiry, which can be used as section headings. For each study reviewed, include basic information about the studies, including: sample (N) size, pertinent demographic information of the sample, location of the study, methodology, research question(s), and main conclusions. If there are theoretical articles on the topic, then indicate this and provide descriptive information about them. Providing this detailed information helps the reader gain an understanding of existing empirical literature relative to the gap in the knowledge. At the end of the chapter, there should be a section in which the student clearly states that based on the literature review, the identified gap in the knowledge has not been studied. The student should also make a statement that brings the singular focus of the study to light. This statement should be something to the effect of, ” Given the preceding discussion, the question (or questions) addressed by the current ACP research is …” This statement should be logically related to the inquiry domain (articulated in the Introduction) and to the literature review. Summarize the main points discussed in Chapter II and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter III. Chapter III: Methods (or Project Structure and Procedures) While all aspects of the ACP are important, the methods section is critical, as it presents the details of the research process. Although the exact content of this section will vary as a function of the nature of the particular research, a description of the choice of paradigms and methodology should be a clear guide of how you will proceed with your research. It is important to be as detailed as possible to minimize potential questions or red flags when it comes time for you to submit for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Students should include all of the required information for the New Protocol Submission Form, as outlined under the Protocol section of this document on pages 13-14. At the beginning of the chapter include a paragraph that reiterates the purpose of the ACP study, the research aims, and research question(s). At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter III and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter IV. The methods chapter also generally includes the following sections: Research Design. Describe the chosen research approach (., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods), the specific method utilized (., appreciate inquiry, program evaluation), and the appropriateness of the research design for your study. What is the timeline for the project? Self of the Researcher. Include detailed description of what posture(s) you will take as a researcher, for example, participant-observer, clinical interviewer, researching therapist, etc. Answer such questions as: How do these roles fit with the research question(s) and theoretical framework? What is your prior experience, research or otherwise, that affects this study [such as researcher bias]? Sampling and Recruitment. Answers to the questions of who, what, why, where, etc. need to be clearly identified. Participants and/or sites: Who or what are they? Where are they located? Why were they selected? How were they chosen? What strategies will be used to recruit participants? What are the ethical concerns regarding access (such as confidentiality)? When and how often will you meet with participants? etc. Data Collection and Procedures (or Instrumentation). Include detailed rationale and descriptions of what will be done, when, how, for how long, why, etc. What instrument(s) will be used to collect the data? For example, if the study involves focus groups, what protocol will be used? Give sufficient detail for an independent researcher to replicate the study. Data Analysis. Describe the rationale for, and the various steps of, the proposed analytic process, whether qualitative, graphical, statistical, or other). What strategy(ies)/tools will be used to analyze the data? What are the specific steps involved? How will you organize the data? Trustworthiness and Credibility (qualitative), OR, Reliability and Validity (quantitative study). Discuss issues such as validity, reliability, ethics, and generalizability. Base this information relative to the method used, since the language of each method varies. Chapter IV: Results (or Project Implementation) This chapter is quite often the longest of the ACP. In it, the student presents the raw results of the study. The chapter begins with an introduction in which the student lays out the organization of how the results will be presented. The student should discuss what actually occurred through all phases of the project and report on specific results of the analysis (., themes, categories, central tendencies, ranges, and/or inferences are presented). In quantitative research studies, the data are usually presented in the form of tables, graphs, and figures. In qualitative research studies, considerable amounts of data are presented and may consist of excerpts from transcribed interviews or conversations, field notes, and/or historical documents. At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter IV and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter V. Chapter V: Discussion (or Conclusions and Recommendations) In the previous chapter you presented the raw data of your results. In this chapter you present your interpretation of the results and explain what the findings suggest. At the beginning of the chapter include a paragraph that indicates the purpose of the chapter and how the major sections of the chapter are organized. Discuss what the results mean in light of your research question(s) and aim(s), and the literature reviewed in Chapter II. Were they consistent or inconsistent with the literature? Were there any surprises? Did your study confirm what was already established in the literature and/or did it contribute something new? This chapter should also include a discussion about the implications of the study for the participants and various stakeholders (., families, therapists, community agencies, couple/marriage and family therapy programs/training). The student should also discuss strengths and limitations of the study, contributions made to the field, and future directions for research in the area of study addressed in the ACP. This chapter may also include prescriptive sections in which the student suggests certain policy or behavioral changes based upon the analysis of the data. At the end of the chapter there should be a concluding paragraph that leaves the reader with main take always from the study, and final thoughts you believe are important to highlight. The APA Style Discussion Phrases Guide may be a helpful resource for writing this chapter: V. IN-DEPTH CRTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE As previously mentioned, the student may choose to do an in-depth critical analysis of the literature or single-case research study that has a direct application to a clinical setting. These types of ACP designs do not require approval of human subjects by the Institutional Review Board. Specific guidelines for each type of ACP design are included, below. In-Depth Critical Analysis of the Literature The purpose of the in-depth critical analysis of the literature is to illustrate a student’s ability to conduct a systemic and in-depth analysis of the empirical literature on a contemporary clinical issue, and use the findings to develop a unique clinical assessment, program, or intervention that can later be used in a real-world setting. The in-depth critical analysis of the literature generally will consist of four chapters, outlined below. However, the nature and number of these chapters may not be appropriate for all ACPs, and variations from these guidelines should be cleared in advance with the student’s chair and committee. The proposal consists of the first two chapters. The final ACP consists of all four chapters. Chapter I: Introduction and Setting The first chapter of the body of the proposal should provide an overview of the ACP and why it is important to the field. It includes several sections, described below. At the conclusion of the chapter, the reader should have a clear understanding of the area to be addressed in the ACP. Start the chapter by introducing the topic of interest/inquiry, and, in general terms, what the ACP study will accomplish. At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter I and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter II. The chapter should also include the sections described below. Chapter II: Review Process and Procedures • Chapter introduction • Detailed description of the steps and procedures used for conducting the review o Which databases you searched and the date range for the articles (include rationale for why you selected this date range) o Criteria for inclusion of articles o Criteria for exclusion of articles (., non-English language, ACP/theses, theoretical articles, textbooks) o How many articles/documents/books were identified and how many were excluded? o Key search terms/words used o Final sample (., number of articles and which journals they were published in) • Detailed description of the process for critical analysis of the literature o What criteria did you use for analyzing the studies? • Trustworthiness of the findings and ethical issues • Chapter summary Chapter III: Literature Review, Analysis, and Findings • Chapter introduction • Organize the studies according to major content themes related to the topic • For each study, provide systematic review of the study, including details about: o Quantitative or qualitative study, location, demographics, sample size (N), etc. o Research question(s) o Main findings, conclusions, recommendations • Discuss your analysis/evaluation of the studies: o In what ways is the assessment/program/intervention consistent or inconsistent with your clinical lens/framework? o In what ways is the assessment/program/intervention culturally relevant to diverse populations? o Which components are working or are effective? o Where are the gaps/shortcomings? • Chapter summary Chapter IV: Discussion and Conclusion • Synopsis of the findings from the in-depth critical analysis • Recommendations—integrate all of the content theme summaries into broader conclusions • Present proposed idea for unique assessment tool, program, or intervention • Implications for various stakeholders (., children, couples, families, society, the field of family therapy) • Future directions for research • Conclusion to ACP VI. APPLIED CLINICAL PROJECT PROCESS AND PROCEDURES The ACP process consists of the following steps: 1. ACP proposal write-up (Chapters I, II, and III) 2. ACP proposal defense 3. Application for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval 4. Final ACP write-up (all five chapters) 5. Final defense 6. Final revisions and submission of PDF document to the program director and program coordinator for degree clearance. Content of the Proposal. After the formation of the ACP committee, the student must develop a formal ACP proposal, which includes the following: Title Page, Copyright Page, Table of Contents, List of Tables (if applicable), List of Figures (if applicable), Abstract, Chapter I: Introduction, Chapter II: Literature Review, Chapter III: Methodology, and References. As noted previously, the number and nature of the chapters may vary for students who choose to do an in-depth critical analysis of the literature or case study. While individual committees may function in slightly different ways, the student first should discuss the research question(s) for the ACP (if applicable) and how to proceed with the development of the proposal with the committee chair. The student should confer with the committee as needed, as determined by the chair. Writing the Proposal. The proposal should be written in future tense because the student is proposing their ACP study to their committee. The chair must approve the first three chapters before distributing them to the committee members. The student works closely with the chair on several drafts of the proposal until the chair determines that it is in its best form/high quality (., main content sections are included, minimal writing and APA formatting errors) prior to sending it to the committee members. It is the responsibility of the chair to review the proposal draft using the Turnitin option in the Canvas course before approving the draft. The chair (not the student) should email the proposal to the committee members to ensure that it is the draft approved by the chair. The chair and committee members have up to 4 weeks to review each draft and provide feedback to the student. The chair and both committee members must approve the student to move forward with the Proposal Defense. Content of the Final ACP. The final ACP includes all five chapters (four chapters for in-depth critical analysis or single-case design) and administrative components described on later pages of this document. Now that the study is completed, the proposal must be revised to past tense instead of future tense. These chapters must also be revised to incorporate recommendations from the Proposal Defense, as well as any modifications made to the research design. The content of the ACP should be as complete and thorough as is necessary to cover the topic. At the end of the study, the student should be an expert on the topic, perhaps the foremost expert in the field. Writing the Final ACP. The writing of the document should reflect that it has been prepared by such an expert. Further, the student should provide sufficient detail to permit the independent replication of the research. The ACP, in its final form, should be a well written and professionally appearing document of publishable quality. In producing the ACP, the student must adhere to the guidelines detailed in the Format and Style of the ACP section of this document. As was the case for the proposal, the student works closely with the chair on several drafts of the final ACP until the chair determines that it is in its best form/high quality. It is highly recommended that the student minimally has someone other than the chair proofread the document prior to submitting it to the other committee members (., NSU writing consultant, trusted peer/colleague). Some students hire a professional editor, which may be suggested by the student’s committee. The chair (not the student) should email the ACP to the committee members to ensure that it is the draft approved by the chair. The chair and committee members have up to 4 weeks to review each draft and provide feedback to the student. The chair and both committee members must approve the draft for the student to move forward with the Final Defense. VII. WRITING STYLE AND FORMAT The ACP should be well written and adhere to standards of modern English usage. It is advisable for the student to have someone else (., a colleague, spouse, or friend) critically read the proposal and the ACP prior to submitting them to the committee members. Typically, faculty become distracted when a document is poorly written, has typographical errors, spelling mistakes, incorrect grammar, or other style problems. The NSU Writing and Communication Center has resources for students, including workshops and one-on-one sessions with writing consultants. More information is available at In producing the ACP, the student must follow all guidelines detailed in this section. These are very precise guidelines, and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure correctness. The proposal and the final ACP must be in final form prior to the defense. The ACP, including the proposal, must be written in APA Style in accordance with the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Many of the guidelines in this document have been adapted from that manual. The APA manual is usually available at the NSU Bookstore or ordered online. Although the APA manual addresses some elements of grammar and punctuation, students who are not accomplished writers may find it useful to refer to a standard reference source on grammar and punctuation. As a complement to the above-mentioned style guide, electronic sources are available for further referencing. APA Style information and guides area available at Another useful website is the Online Purdue Writing Lab at In using the APA manual, the student should be aware that many of the manuscript preparation guidelines are intended for authors who are submitting articles for publication and are not for the production of a final document, such as the ACP. For example, in a ACP the student should place a table at the appropriate location in the document rather than indicate to the type setter “Insert table 1 about here,” as directed in a style manual. There is an appendix in the APA manual that addresses some of the differences required for final manuscripts. Writing Conventions The student should carefully review the APA manual before producing the ACP document. These guidelines are intended to complement and not replace those manuals. However, this section is included to highlight several writing conventions frequently overlooked or not followed in student documents. More writing guidelines are provided at Tables, Figures, and Footnotes. Tables and figures should be placed as closely as possible to the place in the text where they are first referenced. Short tables and figures look better if they appear on a page with text. Larger tables and figures may have to be placed on a separate page without text. Titles are placed above the tables. Examples of APA Style tables are available at Figure captions are placed below the figures. Samples of APA Style figures are available at A review of the APA Manual is best. Footnotes (not references) to the text are positioned at the bottom of the page on which they are referenced. Footnotes can be distracting and should be used sparingly. Bias-Free Language. Authors should avoid using stereotyped and biased language in all professional writing. To do so often requires some thought and perhaps some rewrites. Instead, use bias-free language that is respectful and inclusive. For example, instead of using gender pronouns of she/he and his/her, replace with the nongender binary pronouns they/them/theirs. The APA manual discusses this issue and provides a set of guidelines at Tense Agreements. Tenses must be in agreement in each sentence and paragraph. Plurals. The plural of some nouns, particularly those that end in “a,” may appear to be singular. Consequently, some authors use a verb which does not agree with the noun. Common nouns of this type are “data” and “phenomena.” It is correct to say, “The data are indicative of a positive trend,” and incorrect to say, “The data is indicative of a positive trend.” Commas in a Series. In professional writing, a comma is used before “and” and “or” in a series of three or more items. Hence, correct usage is “red, white, and blue.” Quotation Marks. Quotation marks are placed after punctuation marks such as commas and periods. For example: Jason said, “I went to the laboratory.” Latin Abbreviations. Some Latin abbreviations are misused and mispunctuated. The following are correct: • ., that is • ., for example • etc. and so forth • et al., and others (A common mistake is to place a period after et which is incorrect because et is not an abbreviation. Abbreviations are not used in the running text.) • vs. versus • viz., namely Contractions. The APA manual does not specifically address the use of contractions. However, in academic writing it is customary to avoid using contractions (., can’t, it’s) unless it is a direct quote. Spell out all of the word (., cannot, it is). Direct Quotes. APA Style suggests paraphrasing or summarizing information from a source rather than using a direct quote. The ACP is an original scholarly work, and it is important to express your perspectives about a particular issue or topic in your own words citing sources to support your ideas. the vast majority of doctoral candidates do their own, original work, carefully documenting the use of other people’s words and ideas, plagiarism occasionally occurs. As with all student and professional writing, it is imperative that the writer give appropriate credit to the works of others. If the language used is taken from another source, it should be set off in quotation marks and conscientiously referenced. If the ideas used are taken from another source, they also should be conscientiously referenced. Such care is important and required even in rough drafts of the ACP. Nova Southeastern University and the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) regard all forms of academic misconduct as serious offenses. Matters related to plagiarism and academic dishonesty are brought to the attention of the program director who informs the department chair, and, in turn, such matters are referred to the SPAC for review and recommendations to the dean. Such matters are considered code of conduct violations. It is the responsibility of the chair to review the proposal draft using the Turnitin option in the Canvas course before approving the student to move forward with their Proposal Defense. In the event a student is guilty of plagiarism, the maximum-and usual-sanction is dismissal from the program and from the university. Also see KPCOM Student Handbook ( for additional information on authorship and plagiarism. Format It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the ACP is in the proper format. Referring to previous ACPs may be helpful but may also contain errors; thus, the final authorities are these guidelines and style manuals. If students have questions, consult with the chair or program director. Students should use the Applied Clinical Project Formatting Template for proper formatting, available at Following are some basic formatting guidelines. Margins. The left-hand margin must be inches; the top, side, and bottom margins must be 1 inch. It is necessary that the student carefully adhere to the minimum margin requirements, since some of each margin is trimmed in the binding process (if you choose to get your ACP bound). Pagination. Two sets of page numbers are to be used in the ACP. The preliminary pages (from the title page up to the main body of the ACP) should be numbered with lower case Roman numerals (., i, ii, iii, etc.), centered at the bottom of the page. The second set of numbers, Arabic numbers (., 1, 2, 3, etc.), begins with the first page of Chapter I and continues throughout the document including the References, Appendices, and Biographical Sketch. Every page of the ACP must be assigned a number even though on some pages the number will not appear. In using the Roman numerals, the title, copyright, and signature approval pages are assigned numbers (i, ii, and ii), but they do not appear on the pages. Each of the other preliminary pages must show a number. In using Arabic numerals, the first page of any major subdivision (the first page of Chapter I, II, III, IV, V) does not have the number written on it. The small lower-case Roman numerals beginning with “iv” are centered and placed 1 inch from the bottom edge of the paper. The Arabic numbered pages are numbered consecutively in the upper right-hand comer, one inch from the top edge and one inch from the right edge of the paper. Arabic numbers are never shown at the bottom of the page. Line Spacing. The ACP must be prepared as double-spaced lines throughout the entire document with the exception of tables, figures, and appendices. Paragraphs. APA Style recommends three to five or more sentences in a paragraph, and about three paragraphs per page. Paragraphs with one to two sentences are usually seen as too abrupt and perhaps too devoid of content to stand alone. Paragraphs that are too long should also be avoided and are tiresome to read. Continuity. In order to maintain continuity and readability in producing the ACP, avoid isolating words or lines at the beginning or end of a page. There always should be at least two lines of a paragraph at the bottom of a page and at least one and a half lines at the top of the following page. Never leave a single line of a paragraph at the bottom or top of a page (., avoid “widows and orphans”). Also, a word should never be hyphenated and carried over to the next page. Utilize the format option to handle hyphenation and widow and orphan problems.
