Research plan
N9710 Advanced Research Practicum in Nursing
Course rationale and pre-requisites
Doctoral students need an opportunity to participate in the research of mentors who are actively conducting research. Mentors should be chosen based on the potential contribution of their research to the student’s chosen research trajectory. This course, N9710, is designed to provide the opportunity for students to work with one or more research mentors over at least two semesters at a minimum of .25 FTE /semester paid or unpaid hours* to hone selected research skills before undertaking the dissertation. The student, program committee, and faculty mentor will design the work so that the student has appropriate research experiences before achieving candidacy. These experiences may benefit the student’s research trajectory in content or methodology. The expectation is that students not conduct their own independent study or pilot study, but work with a mentor on his/her established research project(s).
There are no pre-requisites for this course. The student’s program committee should decide when it is appropriate for the student to begin the mentorship practicum. However, prior to taking N9710, the student and his/her program committee should meet and discuss what experiences would be of most benefit to the student’s overall research trajectory and who can best provide the mentorship for these experiences. Subsequently the student must initiate development of a “Research Plan for N9710.” A copy of the form needed is on the next page of Forms and Formalities. The PhD administrative assistant also has copies of the Research Plan form.
Enrollment policies
Prior to initial registration for the course and under the direction of the student’s program committee, the student selects a faculty mentor(s) to facilitate guided research in a particular substantive area. Working with the mentor, the student completes the form, “Research Plan for N9710” to document the planned research activities and the likely scholarly works resulting from N9710 and to address the issue of authorship of any manuscripts emanating from the experience. After the mentor and student agree on the planned research activities and complete the “Research Plan for N9710, the plan is reviewed by the student’s program committee. The program committee can recommend modifications in the research plan to enhance the fit between research activities and the student’s proposed dissertation research interest. The adviser’s signature on the “Research Plan” signifies the committee’s approval. The Research Plan is filed in the student’s folder in the Ph D Program office.
Course objectives are designed to be achieved in a minimum of two semesters that should be equivalent to working as a Research Assistant for 0.25 FTE over two semesters. However, the actual registration for this course can vary from one-hour per semester up to all six hours in one semester depending on the student’s needs for residency and other considerations. The student advisor, following consultation with the mentor or mentors and the student will sign off of the Research Plan and will be responsible for grade assignment (s).
Options for the mentored research experience
There are at least three options for this experience:
- A student may work with the same mentor on the same project for two semesters; one research plan is required.
- A student also may work with the same mentor on different projects for the minimum of two semesters; an approved Research Plan is required for each project.
- A student may work with different mentors on different projects for the minimum of two semester’s equivalent to .25 FTE RA per semester; an approved Research Plan is required for each project.
*If a student is already working as a paid research assistant on a research project, and this project fulfills the goals her/his program committee thinks are needed for the student’s progress, these hours can be counted toward the fulfillment of this course.