Master of
Social Work Program
____________________
Department of Social Work
2014-2015
Capstone Project Manual
Southern Connecticut State University
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SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
GRADUATE CAPSTONE PROJECT
MANUAL
2014-2015
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F O R E W O R D
This is your updated version of the 2014-2015 MSW Capstone Project Manual. It reflects a great deal of faculty collaboration, and is designed to help you through the process of developing a Capstone Project proposal, and carrying out a scholarly Project.
Your Capstone Project Advisor (seminar instructor) is central to this process. He or she will help you produce a Capstone Project that reflects the culmination of your graduate program. In addition, your project will enhance your ability to evaluate and assess your professional interventions with clients or social work practice more broadly.
Completing your Capstone Project will be a demanding and rewarding experience. It will be an accomplishment you may rightfully be proud of.
We offer you our support and best wishes.
Sincerely,
Jaak Rakfeldt, Ph.D., LCSW Professor, Social Work Department Coordinator, MSW Program
William Rowe, DSW
Professor, Social Work Department
Todd Rofuth, DSW
Professor, Social Work Department Chairperson, Social Work Department
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
5 - Section I - Basic Information 6 - Process
6 - Process at Field Placement 7 - Role of Faculty and Students
8 - Research Involving Human Subjects 8 - Scholarship
10 - Section II - Preparing the Thesis Project Proposal 10 - Introduction
11 - Choosing a Topic
13 - Formats for the Proposal 22 - Submission of the Proposal
23 – Revised SCSU Graduate School Thesis Project Proposal – Requirements & Guidelines
29 - Section III - Preparing a Final Capstone Project 30 - Formats for the Final Capstone Project Papers
34 – Revised Graduate School Thesis Project Requirements & Guidelines - Preparation of the Thesis Project
36 – SCSU Graduate School Guidelines for Formatting Theses 40 - Samples of Capstone (Special Project/Thesis) Project Pages 46 - Section IV Appendices
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SECTION I
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CAPSTONE OPTIONS There are three options for completing the Capstone Project:
1. A Capstone Special Project: A Translational Research Project. 2. An Empirical Thesis Project.
3. An Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Literature Review Thesis Project. Each of these options is described in greater detail later in this manual.
For the fall semester (SWK572), students will complete a proposal for one of the three options. During the spring semester (SWK573), students will complete the actual final project.
PROCESS
It is important that you recognize that the Capstone Project in its entirety and all of the pieces of work that make it up represent learning activities, and as such will require new levels of practice and research activity. You will be learning and developing new levels of analysis, research, and writing skills, which may require more sophistication than previous assignments. In addition, if as part of the research you will be offering direct social work intervention, it will be essential to take steps, through consultation, supervision and study, to maximize the
possibility that your work will be helpful to clients. This is an important ethical consideration. PROCESS AT FIELD PLACEMENT
From the beginning of your field placement, it will be important for you to speak with your supervisor and find out what the agency's protocols are regarding conducting agency based research. In agencies where no protocols exist, the student is expected to initiate a
process to inform the agency's director and appropriate agency personnel about the research plan, the purpose, and the design of the study. In addition, the student will need to discuss the
implementation of procedures to be used to protect the rights and the confidentiality of
participants. If you are doing the Translational Research Special Project or an Analytical Thesis issues involving human subjects and the IRB should not be a concern.
The field supervisor is not responsible for the supervision of research methodology or the writing of the capstone project. However, it is expected that field supervisors will be both
supportive and helpful to students while they conduct their projects. The field supervisors should be informed of the purpose, process, procedures and results of students’ capstone projects.
The student should offer to give a copy of the final approved project to the agency and offer to present an overview to agency staff. The agency is not obliged to accept the offer.
IF YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS CONDUCTING RESEARCH AT YOUR FIELD PLACEMENT SITE, YOUR RESEARCH ADVISOR (YOUR SEMINAR INSTRUCTOR AND FACULTY LIAISON) SHOULD BE CONSULTED
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ROLE OF FACULTY AND STUDENTS
In addition to the capstone project advisor (your seminar instructor), the proposal and final version must be approved by the second reader and the Chairperson of the Department of Social Work. The specific roles and functions of each person involved are described below. Student
The student and the faculty advisor have the common goal of successful completion of the student's capstone project manuscript. It is the primary responsibility of the student to write a quality capstone project proposal, to conduct the research, to analyze the data, and to complete a capstone project, which meets the standards set by the Department of Social Work and of the Graduate School of the University.
It is the student's responsibility to work with the advisor constructively and to produce a high quality capstone project. Students should schedule regular meetings with their capstone project advisors. The capstone project (both the proposal and the final paper) must be free of all grammatical errors and typing errors. It is the student's responsibility to edit and proof all drafts of the paper prior to submitting it to the seminar instructor. Capstone project advisors have been instructed to return manuscripts to students for rewrites that do not meet these standards.
Capstone Project Advisor (Seminar Instructor)
Your capstone project advisor has a commitment and a responsibility to facilitate your success in the completion of a high quality capstone project. Your advisor will work with you on an individual basis as well as serving as an instructor for the Capstone Project seminar.
The capstone project advisor is responsible for supervising students with regard to the style and content requirements of the capstone project and the standards set by the Department of Social Work and of the University.
Second Reader
The Second Reader functions as a consultant to the capstone project advisor. Typically, the second reader is involved in the reading of the final draft of the project proposal and the reading of the final version(s) of the capstone project. The second reader does not directly communicate with the student, rather his/her comments are communicated to the student’s advisor. The second readers must sign the approval page before the proposals or final projects can be forwarded to the Social Work Department Chairperson.
Social Work Department Chairperson
The Chairperson of the Department of Social Work has the administrative responsibility for reviewing the final version of the capstone project to determine if it meets the department's requirements set forth in this Capstone Project Manual and by the University. The Chairperson
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forwards any deficiencies directly to the faculty advisor and informs the advisor when the capstone project has been signed.
RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS
All research involving human participants conducted by SCSU faculty, students, or staff, must first be reviewed by the SCSU Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB form can be downloaded from the SCSU Website (see Appendix).
If your project involves human participants, it is important to submit the IRB form as early as possible. We have been working with the IRB Board to expedite the process. We recommend that students try to submit their materials to the IRB during October or November. It is not necessary to have completed you project proposal before submitting your IRB Protocol. An accurate description of your project is acceptable for filing the IRB forms. Be sure to retain a copy of the submitted IRB form for your records.
SCHOLARSHIP
Southern Connecticut State University expects a high standard of ethical behavior on the part of all persons involved in research and other scholarly work. Students and faculty are
encouraged to obtain and read a copy of the "Report of the Association of American Universities Committee on the Integrity of Research." Copies are available in the Graduate Office, EN 118. Below are adapted excerpts from the report with added material developed by the Graduate Council that has been accepted as policy by the School of Graduate Studies.
Violations of honesty and integrity in research and other scholarly work strike at the heart of the academic enterprise. The integrity of scholarship is an essential part of our intellectual and social structure and must be maintained. Advances in knowledge depend upon trustworthy data and honestly reported conclusions. Anything less will seriously undermine the academic enterprise and will erode public confidence in those responsible for its conduct.
The integrity of scholarship must depend largely on self-regulation; it is a major responsibility of all who engage in the search for knowledge. Although everyone involved in scholarship must be active in the prevention of dishonesty, the capstone project advisor must assume special responsibilities. The advisor must encourage in-depth scrutiny of procedures and sources, emphasizing respect for accepted standards of scholarship. The advisor must assume responsibility for the reliability, validity and integrity of all information contained in the capstone project.
Areas of misconduct in scholarship include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Falsification of data which ranges from sheer fabrication through selective reporting, (This includes omission of complete data, but does not mean the legitimate dropping of clear outliers).
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2. Plagiarism involves taking and using as one's own the writings and/or ideas of another and ranges from outright stealing to inadequate attribution.
3. Violations of ethical standards in terms failing to protect clients, patients, research participants, and others.
4. Theft of materials and equipment including library books, journals and journal articles. 5. The use of commercial organizations or paid individuals to write all or part of the
Research. This does not mean that you cannot have another help edit and refine your ideas and your work.
Proven violations of the integrity of scholarship shall result in a failing grade for the Thesis Project and subsequent dismissal from the Graduate School and therefore from the MSW program.
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SECTION II
PREPARING A
11 INTRODUCTION
The capstone project proposal is a crucial part of the entire project process. How smoothly the work involved in preparing a final Project goes is largely determined by the clarity and precision of the capstone project proposal.
The capstone project proposal is the plan for the project that you are going to conduct. Obviously, the better the plan, the easier the actual project will be. It is very important to
highlight the difference between the capstone project proposal and the final capstone project. The proposal is developed before the research is conducted since there is little benefit in making a plan after the study is completed. The proposal must be submitted and approved by your Seminar Teacher, Second Reader and Chairperson of the Social Work Department. The format for the School of Graduate Studies Signature Pages can be found in the appendix of this manual.
CHOOSING A TOPIC
The first point is the relevance of your topic for social work practice. Whatever your specialization (Children and Families, Elders, Mental Health and Substance Use, School Based), it will be important for your Capstone Project to have implication for social work practice. The implications need to be explicated. The question: "How can what I learn from doing this Capstone Project be used?" must be answered in the form of: “How does this research, these findings, or this project help to inform Social Work policies and practices, as well as my own Clinical Social Work Practice?” Both the final version of the capstone proposal paper, as well as the final version of the capstone project paper, must be complete, thorough, well written, clearly presented, and in proper format. These papers must be ones that you are truly proud to place your name upon. Moreover, the capstone project, with the final capstone project paper as the product of this project, must substantially and meaningfully help you to move toward becoming the capable, competent, skilled Social Work Professional that you aspire to become, and that you are ethically obliged to be by providing the best client care possible at all times.
The second criterion is that you must be truly interested in the topic. The process of doing the capstone project is often laborious and time consuming. It will be more satisfying in general, and easier to finish, if you select a topic that stimulates your interest, and is one that you really care about.
Third, but of equal importance, is the issue of “doability” and feasibility. The capstone project process is long and sometimes challenging. It is essential, therefore, that you are realistic about your available time, resources, and access to data (study participants, existing archival data, etc.). Many big research questions can be broken down into smaller, component parts that still have merit and are meaningful, and are thus more doable projects. Your SWK561 (Social Work Research Methods) instructor, and your capstone project advisor and other members of your class and seminar can help you engage in a process of making your capstone project more feasibility and doable. Remember the principles of parsimony, simplicity, and clarity, that often
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have an elegance that is lacking in more cluttered, complex projects and in final written project papers. Once again, these principles point to the need to write, edit, rewrite, edit, and rewrite again as you move toward turning in your final Capstone Project paper. All Capstone Project Proposals and Final Capstone Project Papers must be in “Times” or “Times New Roman” fonts, 12 point.
The department has a collection of past Capstone Projects completed by former MSW students. In addition, all capstone projects are catalogued in Buley Library. These can be a useful source of ideas and information. Some of you will be placed at agencies where previous
Southern MSW students have done capstone studies. These projects may lend themselves to being replicated, modified or built upon. Check these out as well.
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THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT HAVE
BEEN APPROVED FOR THE SCSU MSW CAPSTONE PROJECT:
1. A
Translational Research Special Project.
2. An Empirical Thesis Project
3. An Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Literature Review Thesis Project.
The Social Work Department strongly urges you to choose the best option
that works for you.
1.
CAPSTONE SPECIAL PROJECT: A TRANSLATIONAL
RESEARCH PROJECT:
A Personal Clinical Treatment (or Policy
Practice) Manual
(the deliverable)
Translational research is intimately connected to clinical (or policy) matters in that it “translates,” and quickly makes findings from research available that may be useful for practical applications that enhance human health and well-being. This transitional research Capstone Project requires students to review the theoretical and empirical literature that is related to an intervention, a clinical problem or disorder, or a population that is relevant to students’ practice areas, etc. Students may also embed empirical clinical (or policy) research projects into these capstone special projects as well.
This project will allow you to integrate all of your learning from the whole MSW curriculum into a practical treatment manual that will equip you to enter the profession with a meaningful “tool kit” of knowledge, skills, and abilities. For this purpose, we have included the discrete knowledge components that constitute the Association of Social Work Board’s (ASWB) “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” (KSA’s) that are examined in the Connecticut LCSW
Licensure test (see Appendix). Students should use these categories to help organize their project reports. For example, more and more evidence-based treatments for co-occurring
disorders use manualized approaches (e.g., DBT, Seeking Safety, TREM, TARGET, WRAP, MI, etc.) By doing the Translational Special Project, students will begin to develop their own
manualized treatment strategies, techniques, and approaches. This does not mean that the final paper, or deliverable, should be something totally new and unique. Instead, it should be a thoughtful, thorough, well-written compellation of research, both theoretical and applied dealing with a particular population, a pressing problem in the social work field, or a treatment modality. You may eclectically draw together a clinical approach based on different approaches and
schools of thought. You may also conduct empirical research as part of your project. If you do an empirical study that involves human participants, you will need to submit an Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol.
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from the Southern Graduate School website (July 2011), which describes the requirements for this special project capstone option.
NATURE OF THE SPECIAL PROJECT: The Special Project provides an opportunity for graduate students to complete an academically rigorous project that contributes in some meaningful way to the student’s discipline and professional community. Students choose to complete a Special Project to demonstrate the ability to make independent use of and apply information and training, and to furnish objective evidence of their aptitude in their chosen field of study. A Special Project in the major field may be required at the discretion of the graduate program. A full-time member of the SCSU Graduate Faculty must direct the Special Project. The Special Project involves the integration and application of discipline-specific knowledge, concepts, theory and skills in the development and delivery of a tangible final product (deliverable) accompanied by a written final report describing the process and results of the product's development. Students must confer with their Special Project committee to obtain the parameters for their final written report.
Common Characteristics of the Special Project:
First, a Special Project involves the creation of a tangible product that demonstrates your skill and knowledge in applying the training received in your field of study. It furthermore requires the writing of a final report that details and justifies the process used in the creation of the product. Examples of tangible products vary widely across disciplines. In education, an example of a tangible product may be a curriculum. In the fine arts, a product may be a work of art. In some disciplines, a Special Project may include a field experience or intervention. However, unless a product is developed as an outcome of the field experience/intervention, the completion of a field experience/intervention alone does not qualify as a Special Project. Whatever the discipline, the distinguishing feature of the special project is the development or creation of a product that may be used by a second party.
Second, a Special Project should make a contribution to your field. This requires you to have an in-depth understanding of some particular area of your discipline. In this regard, a Special Project represents the capstone activity of your graduate degree program.
Third, a Special Project represents an opportunity to work closely with one or more faculty members in your field. One characteristic of good graduate education is the opportunity for faculty and students to work together in a close relationship characterized by mentoring. While much of the content of any field can be taught in traditional classes, there is always some art to any discipline. These nuances are best conveyed in the context of a close working relationship. Working on a Special Project, under the tutelage of faculty members, provides an opportunity for learning that is not typically found in other graduate school activities.
Fourth, a Special Project is more personal in nature. A Special Project is an exercise in self-discipline. Completing a Special Project requires sustained initiative and focus. The choice of topic and faculty advisor(s) is largely yours, within any guidelines that may have been developed by your department. Indeed, faculty will generally look to you to be the initiator of your Special Project work.
To recap, a Special Project provides an opportunity for graduate students to complete an
academically rigorous project that contributes in some meaningful way to the student’s discipline and professional community. The Special Project involves the integration and application of discipline-specific knowledge, concepts, theory and skills in the development of a tangible
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product (deliverable) accompanied by a written final report describing the process and results of the product's development. Students choose to complete a Special Project to demonstrate the ability to make independent use of and apply information and training, and to furnish objective evidence of their aptitude in their chosen field of study. The distinguishing feature of the Special Project is the development or creation of a Product that may be used by a second party.
TYPES OF SPECIAL PROJECTS:
A Public Service Special Project generally involves fieldwork, intervention/planning and development, and/or policy development. As noted earlier, unless product development is an outcome of the field experience, the mere completion of a field experience would not qualify as a Special Project. You will need to work closely with your Special Project advisor in order to outline a process and protocol consistent with the ethical, professional and/or scholarly foundations of your discipline. If a host or outside agency is involved, your proposal must likewise be consistent with the needs and expectations of this agency. The resources needed, and your time commitment and schedule thereof, must also be carefully considered.
ELEMENTS OF THE SPECIAL PROJECT PROPOSAL
All studies begin with a statement of the title of the proposed research followed by a description of purpose: Given your knowledge and training in your field of study, what is the tangible product that you are proposing, and why? Next, you must address the question of need
(pertinence): How is your proposed study a contribution to the field? This question is often best answered by first providing a selective review of the related literature, research and/or
description of previous relevant artifacts in your field and then showing how your work will fill a gap, demonstrate innovation, or, in other ways, clarify, extend or apply the work of others. At a minimum, the Special Project proposal must contain the following elements:
a. Title Page (see example in the School of Graduate Studies Guide to Formatting Your Thesis, Special Project Proposal, or Dissertation)
b. Introduction and overview c. Significance and Relevance d. Brief Review of Literature
e. Research Methods or Plans for Conducting the Project f. Expected/Actual Project Results
g. Conclusions and Recommendations
In addition to substance, the Special Project proposal will be evaluated, by the Special Project committee, on writing style and format which includes correct grammar, proper spelling, and consistency of chapter headings, subheadings, footnotes, endnotes, references, and bibliography. Attention to such details as writing the proposal in the future tense is imperative. The student also must select a recognized academic style manual that will be used in writing the Special Project proposal. The style manual selected must be identified at the time of submission of the Special Project proposal. Any Special Project proposal that does not identify and follow a recognized academic style manual as well as The School of Graduate Studies Guide to Formatting Your Thesis, Special Project Proposal, or Dissertation will be returned for correction. Students may use a professional academic copy editor to review their proposals to ensure that they are
grammatically correct, free of typographical errors, adhere to the chosen style manual and to The School of Graduate Studies Guide to Formatting Your Thesis, Special Project Proposal, or Dissertation.
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Social Work Department Special Project: Translational
Research
Proposal
Format
Format for Your Personal Clinical Treatment (or Policy
Practice) Manual Proposal
Title of Project (e.g.: “DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY WITH TRANSITIONAL YOUTH” all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, small roman numerals, centered)
Abstract (all caps, 2 inches from the top, pagination centered, small roman numerals, centered)
Table of Contents (all caps, 2 inches from the top, pagination centered, small roman numerals, centered)
I. Introduction and Overview: (Create a meaningful context within which you couch the project.) II. Significance and relevance or Statement of Purpose for social work practice: Work closely with your SWK561 and SWK572 Instructors as well as other professors, particularly your Specialization instructors when formulating the Statement of Purpose. It may be helpful to present an overview of specific bio-psycho-social problems experienced by particular client populations. You may describe several key characteristics that define these populations, and how their ‘bio-psycho-social problems negatively impact their lives. Cite sources that underscore the importance of these problems, and how and in what ways these are issues that are relevant and significant for the Social Work profession. You may include macro, mezzo, and micro levels of analysis. It is essential that you conclude with a
discussion of the relevance, the meaning, of your proposed project to social work polices, practices, and procedures.
III. Literature Review: a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
Guideline 1. Identify the broad area, but avoid global amorphous statements. Guideline 2. Indicate clearly why certain studies are important.
Guideline 3. If you are commenting on the timeliness of your topic, be specific in describing the time frame
Guideline 4. If citing a classic or landmark study, identify it as such.
Guideline 5. If a landmark study was replicated, mention that and indicate the results of the replication. Guideline 6. Discuss literature reviews on your topic.
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Guideline 8. Justify comments such as “no studies were found.”
Guideline 9. Avoid long lists of nonspecific, not tied together conceptually references and ctations. Guideline 10. If the results of previous studies are inconsistent or widely varying, cite them separately.
(This may be an opportunity to frame your project and make a claim for its importance.) Guideline 11. Cite all relevant references in the Reference Section of your paper.
Guideline 12. Emphasize the need for your project.
In short, start with a broad statement of your topic and similar to an inverted triangle, move to end the Literature Review section with pointed, specific, compelling statements as to why your proposed Project is relevant and important. End with a clear concise statement regarding the potential
implications of the research for Social Work policies, procedures, and practices.
You may find it useful to identify a range of bio-psycho-social theories and major concepts associated with your project. Throughout your Literature Review section identify the relationship
between each citation used and the particular part of your topic for which you have chosen the reference. You may identify theories that support the main practice model used in your project. Some suggested areas to include in your discussion are: psychological and sociological theories that describe your population and the identified problems; policy and historical issues that relate to the current problems experienced by the population and the current services offered; research studies that describe both the main characteristics of the population and the identified problems; you may discuss other practice intervention studies that identify the intervention model used in your project; you may identify other studies that support the research design you have chosen for your project. You must use current APA format for in text and reference page citations.
The literature review process is an ongoing activity that starts with a brief discussion as
identified above for the proposal, but continues throughout the year to help you enrich and support the ideas upon which your research project and final report are based.
IV. Plan for Conducting the Project: (Describe in detail the models, paradigms, clinical modalities that you will explore. You may also embed an empirical study into your project. These may be quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, case studies, ethnographies, etc. See: MSW Thesis Manual Empirical project. If these empirical data involve human participants, then you will need to submit an Institutional Review Board – IRB protocol.)
18 V. Expected/Actual Project Results:
A. Anticipated Implications for Social Work Policies and Practices
B. Anticipated Implications from this analysis that may inform the writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice
VI. Conclusions, Summary and Recommendations:
APPENDIX (if necessary) (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
REFERENCES (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
The Special Project Final Product will be submitted to the Social Work Department and to the SCSU Graduate School in a way that is analogous to the Thesis options, except that it will not need to be submitted to ProQuest for publication (See: later sections of this manual for ProQuest details).
This project will allow you to integrate all of your learning from the whole MSW
curriculum into a practical treatment documents (i.e., a clinical or a policy manual). This special project will equip you to enter the profession with a meaningful “tool kit” of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Indeed, the manual that you prepare should contain many of the discrete
knowledge components that constitute the Association of Social Work Board’s (ASWB) “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” (KSA’s) and that are examined on the Connecticut LCSW Licensure test (see Appendix). Thus, while preparing the Capstone Special Project, you will develop a portfolio of “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” that you will then carry with you out into the professional world as a masters-trained Social Worker. Moreover, this project may serve to better prepare you for the test that will lead to their becoming licensed. Therefore, in
preparing your “Personal Clinical Treatment Manuals” you must incorporate as many of the ASWB’s “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” into their projects as possible.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF THESIS PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN
APPROVED FOR THE SCSU MSW THESIS PROJECT PROPOSAL AND
THESIS PROJECT PAPERS, WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Empirical Projects; and 2. Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Literature
Review Projects.
FORMATS WITH DESCRIPTIONS:
MSW Empirical Project Proposal Format
1. Empirical Projects: a) quantitative; b) qualitative; mixed
designs.
19 Abstract
Table of Contents
I. Statement of Purpose: (Significance for social work practice) a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
Work closely with your SWK561 and SWK572 Instructors as well as other professors, particularly your Specialization instructors when formulating the Statement of Purpose. It may be helpful to present an overview of specific bio-psycho-social problems experienced by particular client populations. You may describe several key characteristics that define these populations, and how their ‘bio-psycho-social problems negatively impact their lives. Cite sources that underscore the importance of these problems, and how and in what ways these are issues that are relevant and significant for the Social Work
profession. You may include macro, mezzo, and micro levels of analysis.
If relevant you may describe the organizational structure of the agency or research site from which you will be gathering data. If this helps to frame the purpose of your project, you may include in your description of the research site such items as: funding sources, organizational chain of command, services provided, description of staff, etc. What is the Mission Statement for the reach site and how is this related to your statement of purpose.
It is essential that you conclude with a discussion of the relevance, the meaning, of your proposed project to social work polices, practices, and procedures.
II. Literature Review:
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
Guideline 1. Identify the broad area, but avoid global amorphous statements. Guideline 2. Indicate clearly why certain studies are important.
Guideline 3. If you are commenting on the timeliness of your topic, be specific in describing the time frame
Guideline 4. If citing a classic or landmark study, identify it as such.
Guideline 5. If a landmark study was replicated, mention that and indicate the results of the replication. Guideline 6. Discuss literature reviews on your topic.
Guideline 7. Refer the reader to other reviews on the issues that you will not be discussing in detail. Guideline 8. Justify comments such as “no studies were found.”
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Guideline 10. If the results of previous studies are inconsistent or widely varying, cite them separately. (This may be an opportunity to frame your project and make a claim for its importance.) Guideline 11. Cite all relevant references in the Reference Section of your paper.
Guideline 12. Emphasize the need for your project.
In short, start with a broad statement of your topic and similar to an inverted triangle, move to end the Literature Review section with pointed, specific, compelling statements as to why your proposed Project is relevant and important. End with a clear concise statement regarding the potential implications of the research for Social Work policies, procedures, and practices.
You may find it useful to identify a range of bio-psycho-social theories and major concepts associated with your project. Throughout your Literature Review section identify the relationship between each citation used and the particular part of your topic for which you have chosen the reference. You may identify theories that support the main practice model used in your project. Some suggested areas to include in your discussion are: psychological and sociological theories that describe your population and the identified problems; policy and historical issues that relate to the current problems experienced by the population and the current services offered; research studies that describe both the main characteristics of the population and the identified problems; you may discuss other practice intervention studies that identify the intervention model used in your project; you may identify other studies that support the research design you have chosen for your project. You must use current APA format for in text and reference page citations.
The literature review process is an ongoing activity that starts with a brief discussion as identified above for the proposal, but continues throughout the year to help you enrich and support the ideas upon which your research project and final report are based.
III. Investigatory Procedures: a) Research question(s): (hypotheses)
b) Investigatory design: (exploratory, descriptive, experimental, quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, etc.)
c) Study participants: (respondents, informants, sources of data, etc.) 1) sample size and sampling strategy
2) inclusion and exclusion criteria
d) Ethical considerations: (protection of human subjects, etc.)
e) Data gathering strategies: (instruments, interviews, focus groups, surveys, chart reviews, accessing archival data, etc.)
Identify and describe the research design and how the data are to be gathered. Describe in what ways, for how long, and the types of procedures to be used. Describe how often and over what period of time data will be collected, as well as the sources of data
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Describe the data analysis procedures you plan to utilize to explore your research questions. For quantitative project describe the statistical methods that you will use. For qualitative (or mixed-method) projects, describe your qualitative data analysis strategies (e.g., constant comparison method used in “Grounded Theory”, culling of themes from interviews or focus groups used in “Phenomenological” approaches, Case Study Methods, etc).
For many projects with small sample sizes, it is appropriate to discuss clinical rather than statistical significance. In such cases, using Effect Size (ES) data analysis strategies would be more appropriate.
IV. Potential Implications for Social Work Policies and Practices: a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
V. Potential ways that this analysis may inform the writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice: a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
VI. Summary: Present a brief summary statement (one page or less) of your proposal including purposes of the study, research questions, procedures, and significance of the study for Social work practice.
APPENDIX (if necessary) (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
Include instrument(s), e.g., interview schedules, questionnaires, tests, chart-review protocols, etc. REFERENCES (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
References should follow the APA format and should be double spaced throughout.
MSW Analytical Project Proposal Format
2. Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Literature Review Projects:
a) Implications for Social Work policies and practices; b)
Informs writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice
Title of Project Abstract
Table of Contents
I. Statement of Purpose: (Significance for social work practice) II. Literature Review: (Broad, substantial, thorough)
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) III. Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Assessment of Literature: a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) IV. Potential Implications for Social Work Policies and Practices:
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a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
V. Potential ways that this analysis may inform the writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice: a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
VI. Summary:
APPENDIX (if necessary) (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
Include instrument(s), e.g., interview schedules, questionnaires, tests, chart-review protocols, etc. REFERENCES (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
References should follow the APA format and should be double spaced throughout.
SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSAL
Your Thesis Project Advisor and the Second Reader will review your Proposal and give you feedback throughout. They shall look to see if you have addressed the following questions: 1. Is the topic appropriate?
2. Is it feasible?
3. Are the data gathering procedures appropriate? 4. Does student have access to the needed data?
5. Is the topic relevant to students’ practice and to students’ professional goals? 6. Can the research be implemented?
7. Is there research site support?
8. Does the research site need and want the information generated by this project? 9. Does the research topic match students’ research skills?
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SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES Revised thesis Project Proposal Requirements and Guidelines
November 2012
(This can be downloaded from the SCSU Graduate School Website)
The Thesis Project advisor, second reader and the department chairperson must approve the Thesis Project proposal. The Thesis Project proposal approval form must then be submitted to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies prior to preparing a final Thesis Project. Each Graduate School/Department/Program may have requirements that exceed those in this
document; Departmental requirements beyond the minimum stated here must be in writing and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of, and comply with, all requirements.
1. Eligibility
A student who has completed fifteen (15) credits in his/her planned program and has the permission of his/her advisor may apply for the Thesis Project capstone experience if he/she: A. is a matriculated student and has received a letter of acceptance from the School of Graduate Studies.
B. has a QPA of 3.0 or better for all courses taken in the planned program to date.
C. has obtained a Thesis Project advisor with the approval of the Graduate Program Director or Coordinator.
2. Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects
By federal law, all research involving human or animal subjects requires prior ethical review and approval by an independent review committee. At Southern Connecticut State University
(SCSU), the relevant committee for research involving human subjects is the Institutional Review Board (IRB). No data collection or recruitment of subjects may take place without IRB approval and no vertebrate animal capture, purchase, or research may take place without
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval. IACUC has jurisdiction over laboratory and field research involving all vertebrate animals.
Before beginning a research study, the student should consult with the advisor regarding the procedure for obtaining appropriate ethical review. Copies of the necessary forms and
instructions for submission can be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies office. In cases where research involving human or animal subjects is being performed at another institution, approval also must be obtained from that institution's appropriate review committee(s). Copies of such approval should be attached to the SCSU forms to expedite the review process.
3. Integrity of Research and Other Scholarly Work
The School of Graduate Studies expects high standards of ethical behavior on the part of all persons involved in research and other scholarly work. Students are required to comply with the following School of Graduate Studies requirements about honesty and integrity in research, as in all scholarly activity. Students are reminded that areas of misconduct in scholarship include, but are not limited to, the following:
A. Falsification of data, which ranges from sheer fabrication through selective reporting, including the omission of data.
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B. Plagiarism, which involves taking and using, as one's own, the writing and/or ideas of another and ranges from outright stealing to inadequate attribution.
C. Violations of rules to protect patients, research subjects, and other persons and animals, which, while not fraudulent in the traditional sense, are unethical and undermine the integrity of the academic process.
D. The use of commercial organizations or paid individuals to write all or part of the Thesis Project.
Violations of the requirement for integrity of scholarship shall result in a failing grade for the Thesis Project and dismissal from the Graduate School.
4. Thesis Project Proposal
Preparing a master's Thesis Project is a time-honored tradition in academe, yet many students who are about to undertake such a project have only the vaguest notion of what a Thesis Project is. No single definition of a Thesis Project exists since what constitutes an appropriate Thesis Project varies considerably among disciplines and even among faculty members within a discipline.
Given this lack of uniformity about what a Thesis Project is (and the resulting anxiety it invokes in students), how can we describe a Thesis Project? Here are four common characteristics. First, a Thesis Project is an exercise in research and/or the creation of an original imaginative work. You are asked to demonstrate your skills in using the methodologies of your field to examine a topic of interest to your discipline.
What constitutes research methodology varies widely across fields. For example, in the physical sciences, research often (but not always) involves the use of experimental procedures in a
laboratory setting; in the humanities, research might involve a descriptive or interpretive analysis of some piece of literature; and in the social sciences, research may involve surveys or field studies.
A "topic of interest to your discipline" means an area of research that is generally viewed as fruitful by other researchers in the field. Within any discipline, there are typically many sub- fields of interest. Research activities such as a Thesis Project usually focus on a limited area, exploring some very specific issues or questions.
A second characteristic of a Thesis Project is that, no matter what the topic or methodology used, the intent of the research is to make a contribution to your field. A contribution is any new information that you can give to your discipline. This contribution can take many forms; a test of a new theory, a reinterpretation of a poem, or an evaluation of a curriculum are but a few
examples. The list is endless, but the common element is this: an addition to the knowledge base of your field requires you to have an in-depth understanding of some particular area of your discipline. You must know the current state of the art if you are to add to it.
In this regard, a Thesis Project represents the capstone activity of your graduate degree program. To complete it successfully, you must demonstrate mastery over both a specific content area and the methodology of your discipline.
Third, a Thesis Project represents an opportunity to work closely with one or more faculty members in your field. One characteristic of good graduate education is the opportunity for faculty and students to work together in a close relationship characterized by mentoring. While much of the content of any field can be taught in traditional classes, there is always some art to any discipline. These nuances are best conveyed in the context of a close working relationship.
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Working on a Thesis Project, under the tutelage of faculty, provides an opportunity for learning that is not typically found in other graduate school activities.
The fourth and final characteristic of a Thesis Project is more personal in nature. A Thesis Project is an exercise in self discipline. Completing a Thesis Project requires sustained initiative and focus. Unlike classes, there are no fixed times that you must meet; there may not be specific deadlines imposed by the instructor or your department. You provide the structure. The choice of topic and faculty advisor(s) is largely yours, within any guidelines that may have been developed by your department. Indeed, faculty will generally look to you to be the initiator of your Thesis Project work.
To recap, a Thesis Project is a well-written document that describes an independent research activity undertaken to explore some problem or topic of interest to the field or that gives formal expression to a creative project. The goal of this activity is to add new knowledge to the
discipline and to demonstrate that you are competent and worthy of having an advanced degree in the field.
A. Pre-Proposal: The information in this section represents only the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. Each candidate must check with his or her department for any additional requirements that may have been established by the department or school. The pre-proposal procedures are as follows:
a. Obtain a Thesis Project advisor through the procedures that are in effect in your
department. It is the candidate's responsibility to find a member of the graduate faculty who is willing to serve as Thesis Project advisor. The Thesis Project advisor must have experience in the field. It is important at this stage to have a clear understanding with your Thesis Project advisor about how much time he/she is willing to give to your Thesis Project, and how and when contact and/or communication will be made.
b. After obtaining a Thesis Project advisor and reaching agreement on a topic as well as the general approach to your Thesis Project, the candidate should register for the
department's Thesis Project proposal course. 5. Types of Thesis Project Proposals
Before beginning work on the Thesis Project itself, each student must prepare a Thesis Project proposal that is approved by the Thesis Project advisor and/or the department's Thesis Project committee and the department chairperson. A Thesis Project proposal must include at least the elements described in the following paragraphs.
A Thesis Project proposal is, essentially, a written action plan of what you intend to do (your topic) and how you intend to do it (your methodology). There are five types of proposals that may be completed: (1) investigative or experimental, (2) historical or descriptive, (3)
interpretive, analytical or critical, (4) creative, and (5) qualitative. Outlines of each type are provided at the end of this document.
All studies begin with a statement of the title of the proposed research followed by a description of purpose: What are the specific hypotheses or research questions that your work will examine? Next, you must address the question of need (pertinence): How is your proposed study a
contribution to the field? This question is often best answered by first providing a selective review of the related literature/research and then showing how your work will fill a gap or, in other ways, clarify, extend or apply the work of others.
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For an investigative or experimental Thesis Project, the next section of your proposal describes the methodology you will use. It is important to provide enough detail of your research design and procedures so that your Thesis Project advisor and/or members of your committee will have a clear picture of exactly how you plan to conduct your study. A major purpose of this section of the proposal is to encourage you to think through your study; the feedback you receive from your advisor or committee about your methods will likely make your Thesis Project more focused and, ultimately, make the time you invest in it more productive. The next section of your proposal will describe how you intend to analyze or evaluate your findings in terms of the
research questions you posed initially. This section is followed by a listing of references included in your proposal.
For a descriptive or historical Thesis Project, once its scope and purpose are defined, the next step, the bulk of your research, involves collecting, reading and analyzing your source materials. The reading should be both wide-ranging and intensive, and your critical judgment should be constantly required in the process. All through this stage of research, you should try to maintain your focus lest you be led astray by the massive amount of material you encounter. The way to maintain focus is to remind yourself frequently of the purpose of your study and the questions that you seek to answer. Your references can be in the form of either footnotes (at the bottom of each page) or of endnotes (at the end of the Thesis Project). Your bibliography should include all the works referenced in your Thesis Project and any works not cited in your Thesis Project but important to the subject of your study.
For an interpretive, analytical, or critical Thesis Project, the specific format to be used will be determined by the academic department and the Thesis Project advisor. However, it must include the following elements:
a. A specific description of the problem or topic being studied and a summary of the argument and its supporting elements, including any necessary definitions.
b. A statement of the significance of the problem or topic, including any limitations. c. A review of the scholarly literature on the topic.
d. An explanation of the design, methodology and theoretical approach of the
study describing what information will be required, how it will be secured, how it will be
refined, integrated and applied to the topic of study, and why the stated design, methodology and theoretical approach were chosen.
e. A list of works cited and consulted that provides complete information for each reference mentioned in the literature review and also any relevant references not cited in the review but which will be of value in the course of the project.
For a creative Thesis Project, such as original poetry, fiction, and/or other works, the format will be determined by the respective department and the Thesis Project advisor. However, for
acceptance by the School of Graduate Studies, a creative project Thesis Project proposal must include at least the following elements:
a. A clear description of the nature, scope, and substance of the final creative product. For example, a student could include a collection of poems that have a common theme running through them. The length of the poems will range from
b. A brief discussion of the major elements of the craft that will be used and how they will be used to achieve certain aims or effects.
c. An explanation of why a creative Thesis Project was chosen and why the specific form and genre were selected.
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For a qualitative Thesis Project, the specific format to be used will be determined by the academic department and the Thesis Project advisor. However, it must include a statement of purpose, a review of relevant research, a description of the research methodology, and a bibliography.
In addition to substance, a Thesis Project will be evaluated on writing style and fluency, which includes correct grammar, proper spelling, and consistency of chapter headings, subheadings, footnotes, endnotes, references and bibliography. Attention to such details as writing the proposal in the future tense is imperative.
Different disciplines use different formats or styles (e.g. APA, MLA) for their professional writing. However, you should check with your department to determine which style it requires. If your discipline does not require a specific style, you should follow the one used by the leading journal in your discipline (confer with your Thesis Project advisor for the name of that journal). It is important to note that the format requirements listed in The School of Graduate Studies Guide to Formatting Your Thesis Project, Special Project Proposal, or Dissertation supersede those of individual style manuals
A. Submission of proposal: The student submits his proposal to his/her Thesis Project committee and department chairperson for review and approval.
B. Thesis Project Proposal Signature Sheet: After approval of the Thesis Project proposal by the Thesis Project advisor and the department chairperson, the candidate must complete a Thesis Project proposal signature sheet (which is located on the SCSU Graduate School Website.).
C. Submission of Signature Sheet: The student must submit the completed Thesis Project proposal signature sheet to the School of Graduate Studies.
D. The School of Graduate Studies will retain the original copy of the signature sheet and send a photocopy to the candidate and the Thesis Project advisor. When the student receives this copy, he/she can commence work on the Thesis Project.
1.
NB!
You must submit one of the following documents
to the Graduate School. They are available on the
School of Graduate Studies website and must be filled
out online, and then printed out, signed, and dated. The
names of the forms are as follows: 1) School of Graduate
Studies Special Project Proposal Signature Page. 2)
School of Graduate Studies Special Project Completion
Signature Page. 3) School of Graduate Studies Thesis
Project Proposal Signature Page. These are submitted
when the proposal (or final special project) has been
completed.
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Southern Connecticut State University School of Graduate
Studies Thesis Project Proposal Signature Sheet.
(See
appendix for sample of signature sheet.)
6. Completing the Thesis Project
Upon receipt of approval of the proposal, the candidate should work closely with the Thesis Project advisor to complete the Thesis Project. It is necessary to follow the SCSU Thesis Project Requirements and Guidelines and The School of Graduate Studies Guide to Formatting Your Thesis Project, Special Project Proposal, or Dissertation in preparing the final Thesis Project. The student also must select a recognized academic style manual (e.g. APA) that will be used in writing the Thesis Project manuscript.
7. Submission of Thesis Project Proposal to the Thesis Project Committee, Department Chairperson, and to the Graduate Dean
The style manual selected must be identified at the time of submission of the Thesis Project proposal.
It is the responsibility of the Thesis Project advisor and the department to insure that the Thesis Project meets the standards of the academic discipline, the academic department, and the School of Graduate Studies. The review by the Department Chair will look to see that the Thesis Project does what the candidate and the Thesis Project advisor agreed it would do in the Thesis Project proposal. Particular emphasis will be placed on writing style, proper format, and consistency between the Thesis Project proposal and the final Thesis Project.
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SECTION III
PREPARING
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THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT HAVE
BEEN APPROVED FOR THE SCSU MSW CAPSTONE PROJECT:
1.
Translational Research Special Project.
2. An Empirical Thesis Project
3. An Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Literature Review Thesis Project.
The Social Work Department strongly urges you to choose the best option that
works for you.
1. Social Work Department Special Project: Translational
Research
Final Paper
Format
Format for Your Personal Clinical Treatment (or Policy
Practice) Manual
Title of Project (e.g.: “DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY WITH TRANSITIONAL YOUTH” all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, small roman numerals, centered)
Abstract (all caps, 2 inches from the top, pagination centered, small roman numerals, centered)
Dedication page (optional): (all caps, 2 inches from the top, pagination centered, small roman numerals, centered)
Acknowledgments (optional): (all caps, 2 inches from the top, pagination centered, small roman numerals, centered)
Table of Contents (all caps, 2 inches from the top, pagination centered, small roman numerals, centered)
I. Introduction and Overview:
II. Significance and Relevance or Statement of Purpose: (Significance and relevance for social work practice)
III. Literature Review:
IV. Clinical treatment approaches (Policies, practices, changes): (Describe in detail the theoretical paradigms, models, modalities used, specific interventions that are consistent with these approaches, specific skill sets that are required, provide concrete clinical examples of how these techniques are used while protecting peoples’ privacy, etc. You may include results from an empirical study that you have embedded within your Special Project. Remember, however, that a Special Project requires some sort of “deliverable” in the form of a “Manual” or a “White Paper” that informs your clinical practice and/or social work policies and procedures.)
V. Actual Project Results
A. Implications for Social Work Policies and Practices
B. Implications from this analysis that inform the writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice VI. Conclusions, Summary and Recommendations:
APPENDIX (if necessary) (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF THESIS PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN
APPROVED FOR THE SCSU MSW THESIS PROJECT FINAL PAPERS,
WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. Empirical Projects; and 2. Interpretive,
Analytical, Critical Literature Review Projects.
SEE BELOW FOR THE APPROVED FORMATS FOR SCSU MSW FINAL
THESIS PROJECT PAPERS.
MSW Empirical Thesis Project Format
1. Empirical Projects: a) quantitative; b) qualitative; mixed
designs.
Title of Project Abstract
Table of Contents
I. Statement of Purpose: (Significance for social work practice) a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
This section should be expanded using your Proposal. You need to add explanations and rationale to your statements. You may want to place emphasis on certain statements by expanding upon your points. You may want to add more detailed descriptions as to how your study could help to inform Social Work policies, procedures, and practices.
II. Literature Review:
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
The literature review section should be expanded using the proposal as outline. You need to revise it as necessary. You may want to add explanations and emphasis to some statements or concepts that you presented. You will need add additional literature for the final Research Project manuscript.
III. Results and Investigatory Procedures:
a) Methods: Research question(s), design, participants (describe sample)
State the purposes, research questions or hypotheses and research design. Make sure they are consistent with the INTRODUCTION and LITERATURE REVIEW sections. The research design section should identify the type of research design that your Research Project is based on. There are many types of designs and you must describe in detail the design you are employing. Describe in detail how the sample was selected, where, who, how many, and why. Describe your intervention in detail and steps you took to insure its effectiveness. In addition, include how the data were collected, for how long, and how often, as well as the description of the instrument(s). Discuss the reliability and validity of the instrument(s) and research design. Use subheadings for clarity.
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b) Findings: (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, etc.) Use tables, graphs, charts to present findings in clear, concise fashion.
For quantitative designs, begin with the demographic description of the sample. The data analysis procedures from the Proposal should now be incorporated in the Results Section. Use subheadings for clarity.
This section consists of how data were analyzed (i.e., types of statistical procedures used) and results of the analyses in order to prove/disprove each hypoThesis Project or to answer each research question. Follow the individual hypoThesis Project or research question as an outline. Results of each hypoThesis Project or research question should be presented in the Results section.
Report enough data to explain your findings. Utilize tables and figures to clarify and to facilitate economy of words. Do not display all raw data or computer output. Briefly explain tables and figures to show significant findings.
For qualitative projects, report the data from interviews, focus groups, or other qualitative data sources. You may include Conceptually Clustered Matrices or other ways to present your qualitative data in a clear and meaningful manner.
IV. Discussion and Implications for Social Work Policies and Practices:
a) discuss the meaning of the findings relating them to the literature cited b) What inferences may be drawn from the findings?
c) Weave these findings into implications for Social Work policies and practices d) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
Briefly state the significant results and statements of how the results did/did not support your hypoThesis Project and/or research questions. Discuss results in terms of how they support or do not support findings of studies cited in the literature review and why. In descriptive studies that lack hypotheses weave your findings into the existing literature.
Point to specific results that "may suggest", support or contradict your speculations. Cite references, especially from the literature review, that may lend support to the credibility of such statements. Identify or point to explanations of unanticipated results. Discuss any possible explanations of the results. Discuss the limitations of the study and suggestions for future study.
V. Implications from this analysis that informs the writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice:
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
VI. Summary:
Present a brief summary statement (one page or less) of your proposal including purposes of the study, research questions, procedures, and significance of the study for Social work practice.
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REFERENCES (all caps, 2 inches from the top, centered, paginated continuously)
MSW Analytical Literature Review Thesis Project Format
2. Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Literature Review Projects: a)
Implications for Social Work policies and practices; b) Informs
writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice
Title of Project Abstract
Table of Contents
I. Statement of Purpose: (Significance for social work practice)
II. Literature Review: (Broad, substantial, thorough)
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
III. Interpretive, Analytical, Critical Assessment of Literature: a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative) b) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
IV. Discussion and Implications for Social Work Policies and Practices:
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
V. Implications from this analysis that informs the writer’s Clinical Social Work Practice:
a) …. (Use many subheadings to organize and to structure the narrative)
VI. Summary:
APPENDIX (if necessary) REFERENCES:
As the format for the Interpretive, Analytical projects vary widely, work closely with your Seminar Instructor, and your instructors from your Specialization to work out the appropriate approach for
Interpretive, Analytical, Critical, Literature Review Projects.
