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Hi Jordain.My apologies for the delay. Moving forward, if 10 business days passes and you do not hear from me, please let me know. Email me. This draft got lost in my downloaded documents.Did you follow the Checklist? I don’t see the outline of each section. See attached.
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Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Doctoral Research Project Checklist
Date:
Student’s Name:
School: Barbara Solomon School of Social Work
Program of Study: Social Work (DSW)
Chairperson’s Name:
Committee Member’s Name:
University Research Reviewer’s Name:
Student ID:
The following checklist provides a tool to develop DSW Doctoral Projects in social work contexts. The doctoral project
involves multiple steps, including identification of the local problem and development of the practice-focused
question(s) to address it, and a review of the background and context related to the problem (Section 1); a plan for
systematic collection of data and evidence (Section 2); analysis of those data to inform a solution or strategy that
addresses the practice-focused question(s) (Section 3); and product(s) or recommendation(s)-for-action based on
those results (Section 4). All items may not be relevant to your particular study; please consult with your chair for
guidance.
● Instructions for students:
o Indicate on the checklist the page numbers (use the actual document page number, not the MS Word
pagination) where the appropriate content is located. DO NOT cut and paste narrative from your
document into the checklist. Simply provide the page number where the information is located in your
document.
o Respond to comments from your supervisory committee and/or URR members in the comment history box.
Do not delete previous comments. Just add your response and use some means to clearly identify your
remarks (e.g., colored, bolded, or italicized text).
● Instructions for the DSW Doctoral Project committee chair, second member, and URR member.
o Provide specific feedback in the comment history column. Do not delete previous comments. Just add your
response and use some means to clearly identify your remarks (e.g., colored, bolded, or italicized text).
2
o If you made detailed comments on the draft (using track changes and comments), you can make reference
to such comments in the draft rather than copy the text into the checklist comment history section.
Front Matter
Title of no more than 15 words
Your title must include:
• the area of focus of the
research and applicable
population,
• important outcome(s),
variables, and/or
concept(s), and
• research strategy.
Abstract
Limited to one page.
Researcher Tip: See Academic
Guide on Writing the Abstract
Describe a social work practice
problem and why it is important to
address within the context of social
work practice
Identify the practice-focused
research question(s) and the
purpose for the doctoral project.
State all concepts, models, and/or
theories used to inform the
doctoral project.
Concisely describe the project’s
design, sources of evidence and
how they were obtained, and the
data analysis procedures used in
the doctoral project.
3
Concisely summarize the key
findings and conclusions, and how
they inform social work practice
(final doctoral project paper
only).
Concisely identify major products
and/or recommendations as
appropriate (final doctoral project
paper only).
Conclude with a statement of
potential implications for social
work practice and for positive
social change (final doctoral
project paper only).
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PROPOSAL SECTION 1: Foundation of the Study and Literature Review
Pg/NA
Comment History
Introduction
Note: APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of the manuscript or section is the introduction.
Reminder – be sure to use the
capstone template and be careful
to not modify the margins. APA
capstone template
Briefly introduce the social work
topic/problem, the research
methodology, and potential
positive social change implications
of the doctoral study (later sections
will allow you to elaborate).
Preview the overall organization of
the paper and major
headings/subheadings.
Problem Statement
Researcher Tip: A research
problem is a focused topic of
concern, a condition to be
improved upon, or troubling
question that is supported in
scholarly literature or theory that is
studied to understand it in more
detail. It is the research problem
that is identified in the Problem
Statement.
Explicitly state the social work
practice problem that is the focus
of this doctoral study.
Describe the scope (locally,
regionally and/or nationally, as
appropriate) and evidence that
demonstrates the problem is
current, relevant, and significant to
the professional practice of social
work.
Checklist Items
5
Frame the problem in a way that
builds upon or counters previously
published findings about the
problem, focusing primarily on
research conducted in the last five
years.
Purpose Statement and Research Questions
Briefly describe the social work
practice problem or phenomenon
that this doctoral study addresses.
State the practice-focused
research question(s), variables,
and concepts, as applicable.
Provide concise definitions of key
terms, concepts, or constructs.
Describe why this doctoral study is
needed and how it will result in an
original contribution that advances
professional social work practice.
Nature of the Doctoral Project
Briefly describe the design of the
study providing a concise rationale
for how the design aligns with the
purpose statement and research
questions(s).
Briefly identify the sources of data
and how they will be obtained.
Briefly summarize the
methodology that will be used to
organize and analyze these data.
Note: You will elaborate on these topics in Section 2, and you will change the tense in the final document.
Note: Data from people or agencies cannot be collected and/or analyzed prior to approval by the Walden University Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Only published evidence (e.g., articles, books, or reports that are accessible to anyone in the public) may be examined prior to IRB approval.
Significance of the Study
Identify potential contributions of
the project that will advance social
work practice knowledge.
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Briefly explain how this doctoral
study holds significance for the
field of social work (practice,
research, and policy).
Describe potential implications for
positive social change.
Theoretical and / or Conceptual Framework for the Study
(Studies must include either a theoretical foundation or a conceptual framework section [studies may include both])
Identify the theoretical/conceptual
framework used to frame/inform
the study.
Synthesize primary writings by key
theorists, philosophers, and/or
foundational/seminal scholars
related to the concept, model, or
theory used as a framework for the
project.
Provide rationale for the choice of
this theoretical/conceptual
framework and describe how it
aligns with the problem statement,
research question(s), and purpose
of the study.
Values and Ethics
Identify the values/principles of
the CURRENT NASW Code of
Ethics related to the social work
practice problem.
Explain how the CURRENT
NASW Code of Ethics guides
social work practice in this area of
practice.
Describe how the social work
values of the setting, agency, or
organization are evident in the
purpose of this project
Describe how this project
supports the values/principles of
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the CURRENT NASW Code of
Ethics
Review of the Professional and Academic Literature
A thorough review may have 50 – 75+ sources.
Researcher Tip:
Consider meeting with a Walden
librarian: Walden Library
Briefly describe the process and
steps for the literature review.
Include justification for selection of
databases, search engines used,
key terms, years searched, as well
as types of literature and sources
searched.
Note: The description should be
brief to provide an overview of how
you went about the literature
review process and determined
appropriate content.
Provide a synthesis of the current
(within past 5 years) literature that
establishes the relevance of the
social work problem and justifies
the rationale for conducting this
study. Sources older than 5 years
can be used if considered seminal
for the topic.
In cases where there is little
current research, and few (if any)
doctoral studies/dissertations
and/or conference proceedings,
describe how this was handled.
Related to your social work
practice problem, synthesize the
ways social scientists/researchers
in social work practice have
addressed the identified social
work problem. Briefly identify and
discuss the strengths and
weaknesses in the work to date.
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Related to your social work
practice problem, synthesize the
methodologies and/or approaches
social scientists/researchers have
used to address this social work
problem. Briefly identify and
discuss the strengths and
weaknesses in the work to date.
Justify, from the literature, the
rationale for selection of variables
and concepts studied in this
project.
Review and synthesize empirical
studies related to the key
variables/concepts to produce a
description and explanation of
what is known about the
variables/concepts, what
methodologies/designs have been
used to discover what is known,
what is controversial (i.e., mixed
findings by researchers), and what
remains to be studied.
Clearly identify any remaining gaps
or unexplained areas related to
your social work practice problem
to provide the rationale for how
your study will improve or enhance
social work practice and add to the
practice knowledge-base.
Summary
Summarize the main points of
Section 1.
Provide a transition section to
connect the findings from the
literature review, including gaps or
unexplained areas to the data
collection described in Section 2.
PROPOSAL SECTION 2 – Research Design and Data Collection
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Checklist Items
Pg/NA
Comment History
Introduction
Note: APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of the manuscript or section is the introduction.
Researcher Tip:
Get help with research design
alignment by making an
appointment with a Walden
methodologist: Research Design
Alignment Appointments
Researcher Tip:
https://methods.sagepub.com/
may be helpful for Section 2
Researcher Tip:
Don’t forget to check out the
resources in the Doctoral Degree
Coach!
Restate the overall social work
practice problem described in
Section 1.
Preview the major sections of
Section 2.
Research Design
Restate the social work practice
problem along with the research
question(s) being addressed in this
research study.
Describe the nature of the study
and overall approach or design for
conducting it.
Provide rationale for how the
purpose of the study aligns with
the approach/methodology used in
this study.
Clarify operational definitions of
any key aspects of the doctoral
project.
Note: The DSW doctoral project proposal describes a plan for collecting and analyzing data, and as such, this section should be written in the future
tense for the proposal and changed to past tense after completion of the final project.
Methodology
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Note: Complete only the following subsections that are relevant to your doctoral project, in consultation with your supervisory committee, and explain
how a particular source of data/data collection aligns to your project. Not all items in this section will apply.
Your methodology needs to be described in sufficient depth that other researchers could replicate your study.
Also, be mindful that data from people and agencies cannot be collected and analyzed prior to approval by the Walden IRB. Existing data from
organizations can be examined prior to IRB approval, however, when the sole purpose is to determine its applicability to the doctoral project.
Prospective Data
Note: You should complete this section for data that will be primarily generated for the purpose the doctoral project, and not part of the normal operations
of the site.
Describe the overall method in
collecting the data (i.e., surveys,
focus groups, interviews, emails)
Describe variables, concepts,
constructs, or outcomes (as
applicable) that will comprise data
collected in the project.
Participants
Describe the participants and the
strategies for identifying and
recruiting participants. Do not
include specific school or job site
names or interviewees in narrative.
Identify and justify the type of
sampling strategy that was used.
Explain the alignment of the
participants to the practice-focused
question.
State size of the participant sample
and justify its appropriateness.
Instrumentation
Describe all tools and/or
techniques used to collect the
data.
For existing measurement
instruments, provide name of
developer(s) and year of
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publication, appropriateness to the
current study, permission from
developer to use the instrument
(permission letter should be
included in an appendix),
published reliability and validity
values relevant to their use in the
study, and where and/or with what
populations the instrument was
previously used and how
validity/reliability are/were
established in the study sample.
Explain the rationale for using the
method and/or instrument(s) in this
project.
Existing Data
Note: You should complete this section for doctoral projects that will involve analysis of an agency’s or organization’s operational data that have been (or
will be) routinely collected in the organizational context (i.e., serves a purpose other than completion of the doctoral project) but have not yet been
analyzed at the time of proposal approval.
Describe the nature of the existing
data (ie. client notes, internal
documents, recordings, etc.)
Describe the timeframe and/or
dates when the data were
collected.
Explain how the existing data were
generated. Include all procedures
for recruitment, participation, and
data collection associated with the
existing data set.
Describe the procedure for gaining
access to the data set and
evaluate the feasibility of access to
the data set.
Data Analysis
For each source of data collected
(e.g., interviews, documents, etc.)
describe how it will be analyzed in
order to answer the research
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question(s) including any software
used for analyses.
Describe the chronological steps in
the analysis process.
Researcher Tip: Consult Walden
document on Trustworthiness
Info on Trustworthiness
Describe the methods used to
address the rigor of the study.
Issues of rigor may include: for a
QL study (a) credibility; (b)
transferability; (c) dependability;;
(d) confirmability; and (f)
trustworthiness.
For a QN study (a) internal validity;
(b) external validity; (c) reliability;
and (d) objectivity.
Ethical Procedures
Include IRB approval number in
narrative or in an appendix (do not
include the entire IRB form).
Note: The IRB application will be submitted once you complete and defend your proposal. This number will be added to this section as you complete the
final research project (Sections 3 & 4).
Discuss, include, and reference
informed consent procedures.
Include documents in the
appendix.
Describe the procedures used to
ensure ethical protection of
participants.
Note: More details will be expected in the IRB application.
Describe whether data are
anonymous or confidential and any
concerns related to each.
Describe protections for data (i.e.
data storage procedures, data
dissemination, who will have
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access to the data, and when and
how data will be destroyed).
Summary
Summarize of the data collection
and analysis processes as
described in Section 2.
Transition sentence to Section 3.
The completion of the Abstract, Section 1 and Section 2, along with appendices including all recruitment
materials (flyers, emails, letters, etc), interview protocol or instrument(s), and the informed consent document,
mark the end of the DSW Research Project Proposal.
Post Proposal Check In
Reminders as You Move Forward to Data Collection
Date
completed
If you make any changes to your
study from what was approved in
your proposal, you must discuss
all changes and the rationale with
your Chair and obtain feedback
from your second committee
member before proceeding. Your
URR should be informed of the
changes by your Chair.
Whenever your study is
mentioned in the paper it should
now be changed to the past tense
instead of future tense (e.g.,
instead of “I will recruit…” it should
be “I recruited…”)
Once you have IRB approval, if
you make changes to your study
you must get IRB approval
through a Change of Procedure
form: IRB forms
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Researcher Tip:
Share your raw data with your
chair.
Become familiar with the
requirements in the FINAL
DOCUMENT SELF CHECKlisted after Section 4 in this
checklist.
Completed DSW Research Projects should include the Abstract and Sections 1- 4. Sections 3 and 4 are detailed
below.
Both DSW Research Project Proposals and completed DSW Research Project papers should be rated in terms of
APA style (below – final page of this document).
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DSW RESEARCH PROJECT
PROJECT SECTION 3: Presentation of the Findings
Comment History
Introduction
Note: APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of the manuscript or section is the introduction.
Review briefly the purpose,
research question, and how the
data were collected.
Preview the organization of
Section 3.
Data Analysis Techniques
Describe the time frame for data
collection as well as actual
recruitment and response rates of
the secondary data set.
Summarize the data analysis
procedures used in the study such
as, coding, statistical analyses,
software used, etc.
Summarize the validation
procedures. (e.g., member
checking, peer de-briefers,
triangulation, reliability estimates,
etc.).
Describe any limitations or
problems encountered when
conducting the study
Findings
Report descriptive statistics that
appropriately characterize the
sample.
Report findings, organized by
research questions.
Describe how these findings
answer the research questions.
Include tables and figures to
illustrate results, as appropriate,
Checklist Items
Pg/NA
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and per the current edition of the
APA Publication Manual.
Discuss findings that were
unexpected and or discrepant or
non-confirming data as applicable.
Summary
Summarize the findings as related
to the practice-focused research
questions.
Provide transitional material from
the findings and introduce the
reader to the information found in
Section 4.
PROJECT SECTION 4: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Social Change
Pg/NA
Comment History
Introduction
Note: APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of the manuscript or section is the introduction.
Concisely reiterate the purpose
and nature of the study and why it
was conducted.
Concisely summarize key findings
and how they inform social work
practice.
Describe in what ways the
findings extend knowledge in the
discipline.
Preview this section as
recommended solutions.
Application for Professional Ethics in Social Work Practice
Present and explain at least two
specific principles or values from
the NASW Code of Ethics related
to this social work practice
problem and how they were
relevant to your study.
Checklist Items
17
Describe how these findings will
impact social work practice,
particularly in relation to the area
of professional ethics.
• Ensure discussion does
not exceed study
boundaries.
Recommendations for Social Work Practice
Based on the findings
recommend at least two action
steps for social work practitioners
who work in this area of focus.
Consider practice, research, and
policy considerations.
Explain how these findings will
impact your own social work
practice as an advanced
practitioner.
Discuss the transferability of the
findings from this study to the field
of social work practice.
Discuss the usefulness of the
findings from this study to the
broader field of social work
practice. Consider practice,
research, and policy
considerations.
Describe any limitations that may
impact the usefulness
(generalizability, trustworthiness,
etc.) of this study.
Describe recommendations for
further research that are
grounded in the strengths and
limitations of the current study.
• Ensure recommendations
do not exceed the study
boundaries.
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Recommend at least two ways to
disseminate the information
produced in this project
Implications for Social Change
Describe the potential impact for
positive social change at the
appropriate level(s): micro,
mezzo, and macro and/or
practice, research, and policy.
• Ensure implications for
social change do not
exceed the study
boundaries.
Summary
Provide a strong “take home”
message that captures the key
essence of the study.
Make sure the entire document (Abstract and Sections 1 – 4) are written in past tense since the project has been
completed.
Remove any identifying material from the appendices; this includes recruitment material (flyers, emails, letters,
etc.) and the informed consent document.
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FINAL DOCUMENT SELF CHECK
Reminder – double check your
dissertation template and margins
after making your form and style
changes.
APA capstone template
Did you have ANY research
design changes that deviated from
your proposal’s approved research
design?
If you had any changes from what
was written in your proposal, then
you should discuss with your Chair
and determine where to make
specific revisions in Sections 1 or
2.
In the Abstract only include the
final version of the method in the
description. See Academic Guide
on Writing the Abstract
In Section 1, rewrite the section
Nature of the Study with your
revised design, check throughout
Chapter 1 that everything is
consistent with revised design.
In Section 1, remove any literature
no longer appropriate with revised
design. Add any additional
literature due to revised design.
Rewrite Section 2 with revised
procedure and analysis. This may
include purpose, research
questions, research design and
rationale, participant selection,
instrumentation, and data analysis.
Write Sections 3 & 4 based on the
revised design.
Yes ☐
No ☐
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Checklist Items
Citations and Referencing
Reminder – double check your
dissertation template and margins
after making your form and style
changes. APA capstone template
All citations have been
crosschecked to ensure that there
are corresponding references
(and that there are no references
that do not have associated
citations).
All sources are cited correctly per
APA formatting requirements (for
example, studies listed in
alphabetical order by first author;
no first names of authors).
Grammar, Spelling, and Syntax
The paper has been thoroughly
checked for grammar, spelling,
and syntax errors.
For the final dissertation, the
dissertation has been checked for
correct verb tense representing a
completed study.
Headings
Headings are used, consistent
with the Walden Capstone
Template, to make sections of
thought distinct.
Use of the Writing Center Template
The Writing Center Capstone
Template (APA, 7th edition) was
used to construct the proposal
and/or dissertation so that all
formatting is correct.
APA Form and Style Check
Comment History
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