Course Overview: This advanced level course explores appropriate research processes as students complete a Radiologic Sciences research project and produce a substantial scholarly paper. It provides opportunities for the critical analysis of published research and requires students to create their own contributions to the body of professional literature. This course also requires students to provide a personal reflection of the research experience.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:
1. Complete a substantial scholarly research paper on an approved topic of interest in Radiologic Sciences (review of literature, survey, or other original research).
2. Prepare a personal reflection.
Topic Approval
Students must obtain faculty approval for their RADS 6773 research project topics. The research project topics will be based on the foundations established in RADS 5003 Research Methods I. Appropriate topics include those directly related to RADIOLOGIC SCIENCE issues or strategies and must be relevant to the students’ major.
NOTE: If faculty advisors and students determine that the research project should include a survey or any other research design that requires approval or exemption by the MSU Institutional Review Board (IRB), they should expect that the process will require more than one semester. Due dates may be adjusted accordingly.
Outline with References – 20%
After extensive review of the feedback from RADS 5003 and expanded investigation of resources, students will create a detailed revised topic outline and submit it to their advisors by the due date on the chart at the end of the syllabus. The outline should include in-text style citations of the sources of information as part of the outline. While the final paper may deviate from the outline somewhat, the final paper should reflect the organization of this outline so students must be very familiar with their resources to create an accurate and realistic outline. The headers and subheaders in the final paper will likely match the outline structure.
Example:
III. Legal Issues
A. Corporate Perspective (Edwards, 2005; Jones & Smith, 2009)
B. Departmental Perspective (Jones & Smith, 2009; Parker, 2010; Thompson et al., 2007)
C. Employee Perspective (Adams, 2004; Edwards, 2005)
IV. Financial Implications
A. Cost vs. Benefit (Peterson, 2008; Peterson, 2009; Sampson & Gilbert, 2005)
Scholarly Paper - 50%
The scholarly paper will demonstrate the student’s critical analysis of published research and the graduate level writing skills using appropriate APA format.
The paper should be long enough to provide thorough coverage of the topic, but should be appropriately concise to conform with professional standards. Typically, the body of the paper (excluding components such as the cover page, abstract, reference list, appendices, etc.) will be 20 - 30 pages.
The literature review should be based on scholarly and peer-reviewed resources published within the past five (5) years. Students who choose to include other resources will have to satisfactorily defend those choices. The paper should demonstrate the student's ability to gather and discriminate pertinent resources, the ability to SYNTHESIZE information from a variety of sources, the ability to apply new information to a topic, and the ability to correctly use the APA Reference Style.
Unlike other courses in which students submit papers once and receive a grade. The draft papers in this course will be submitted by the students and feedback will be provided by the faculty advisors. This process will continue until the paper is completed to the satisfaction of both the student and the faculty advisor. Drafts and eventually the final paper are due by the dates on the chart at the end of the syllabus. The expectation is that students will complete the research and produce the final paper within one semester.
Personal Reflection - 20%
Students will submit a personal reflection of the research process they have experienced in the sequence of MSRS courses:
RADS 6443 Survey Design in Radiologic Sciences,
RADS 6553 Graduate Statistics in Radiologic Sciences,
RADS 5003 Research Methods I, and
RADS 6773 Research Methods II.
The reflections should include clearly labeled sections to address each of the following points:
Students should submit the completed reflections (total about 3-6 pages in length) as Word document email attachments to their faculty advisors by the date on the chart at the end of the syllabus.
Class Participation 10%
Timeliness of submitting drafts and responsiveness to emails affect the class participation grade. Check the chart at the end of the syllabus for due dates.
Evaluation:
Outline with References 20%
Scholarly Paper 50% Personal Reflection 20%
Grade Scale:
A = 100 - 90
B = 89 - 80
C = 79 - 70
D = 69 - 60
F = 69 and below
Submissions
Papers should be submitted electronically as email attachments using the following guidelines:
§ IBM compatible format (not MAC)
§ Word 97 or newer version
§ Times New Roman or other typical legible font (not Courier) (10 or 12 point for bulk of text)
§ 1” margins on all sides
§ Double-spaced
§ Standard Radiologic Sciences Department Cover Page
Due dates are provided in this syllabus. Failure to comply with established due dates may result in a grade reduction.
Refer to the Graduate Bulletin for details about receiving a grade of “Incomplete” in a course. In an emergency or extenuating circumstance, a student may request a grade of “Incomplete” in a course before grades are submitted. If the instructor grants the “Incomplete,” the student has until ninety (90) days after the beginning of the next long semester to complete the course requirements. If the student does not complete the course requirements within the deadline, the grade of “Incomplete” will automatically convert into a grade of “F.”
This is an online course and there are no mandatory sessions. However, the student should be vigilant about making progress on the project / paper. Regular email checks will insure that messages to and from the instructor are received in a timely manner.
Administrative Process:
Unresolved issues related to this course should be first addressed between the student and the section instructor. If there is no resolution, students must follow this sequence:
Graduate Coordinator – Dr. Jeff Killion (940-397-4659)
Department Chair – Dr. Donna Wright (940-397-4615)
College Dean – Dr. Susan Sportsman (940-397-4594)
Dean of Students – Dail Neely (940-397-6273)
Honor System:
RADS 6773 adheres to the MSU Code of Conduct. In particular, academic dishonesty, however small, creates a breach in academic integrity. A student's participation in this course comes with the expectation that his or her work will be completed in full observance of the MSU Code of Student Conduct. A student should consult the 2010-2011 Student Handbook for answers to any questions about the code.
Many components of the MSRS Program are designed to be highly interactive with students helping each other learn. Students are encouraged to take full advantage of many resources available including Internet sites, handouts and module notebooks, other textbooks and journals, faculty, and peers. This interactive collegial learning environment is conducive for life-long learning.
Specific components of RADS 6773 are designed to represent the efforts of each student individually and are NOT to be shared. These components include the outline with references, the scholarly paper, and the self-reflection. Students SHOULD NOT share their efforts in ANY WAY (including but not limited to discussion, electronic files, print copies, notes, etc.).
When students submit their efforts for grading, they are attesting that they have abided by this rule. By enrolling in this course, the student expressly grants MSU a “limited right” in all intellectual property created by the student for the purpose of this course. The “limited right” shall include but shall not be limited to the right to reproduce the student’s work product in order to verify originality and authenticity, and for educational purposes. Specifically, faculty may submit student papers and assignments to an external agency to detect plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated in this class. If a student is found to have committed academic dishonesty, a grade of zero (0) may be given for the paper, quiz, assignment, etc. Cases may also be referred to the Dean of Students for possible dismissal from the university.