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DEPARTMENT OF COUPLE AND FAMILY THERAPY

PH.D. PROGRAM DISSERTATION GUIDELINES

Revised October 2021

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INTRODUCTION

The dissertation constitutes an original work deemed to demonstrate a level of learning and scholarship commensurate with the awarding of the Doctor of Philosophy degree. It is to be a scholarly work that makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge of the student's discipline, and is considered to be a career launching undertaking Each student is required to complete and to defend a dissertation prior to receiving their Ph.D. As such, the successful completion of the dissertation process represents the culmination of the student's formal education and a level of expertise within their chosen discipline. Students are encouraged to develop research topics that are not only of interest to them, but also meaningful to the field of couple/marriage and family therapy at large. It is highly recommended that students begin thinking about a general idea of a dissertation topic early in their program. The dissertation should take the form of a data-based analytic study, or, with approval from the committee chair and program director, a theoretical work considered to be an important and unique contribution to the field. During each of the four research courses, students will be developing components of a manuscript, such as an Introduction, Literature Review, Method, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) proposal, that will lead to a dissertation. Students complete their dissertation concurrently with their Clinical Internship. This document details the procedures for completing the dissertation as required by the Department of Couple and Family Therapy, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) at Nova Southeastern University. Completion of all pre-dissertation requirements must be met prior to starting the dissertation. The dissertation process entails the following steps which will be addressed in this document in detail.

I. Formation of the dissertation committee II. Structure of the dissertation

III. Chapter descriptions IV. Dissertation process and procedures V. Writing style and format

I. FORMATION OF THE DISSERTATION COMMITTEE The dissertation committee consists, minimally, of three core members: the chair and two other members. To select the committee chair, the student will submit to the program director their top three choices in order of preference. The program director will assess faculty availability and notify the student and faculty member within 1 week of who the chair will be. Committee members are selected on a rotation process based on availability and department needs. The chair and members work closely with the student in the conceptualization, development, and writing of the proposal and the final dissertation. The committee also makes the determination whether or not to accept or to reject the proposal and the dissertation.

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The chair and at least one other member must be full-time faculty within the Department of Couple and Family Therapy. A student may have one outside member external to the department or university if methodological or substantive topical issues make such membership advisable, and is approved by the dissertation chair and program director. External members must have an earned doctorate degree from a regionally accredited university, must be full-time graduate level faculty at an accredited university, must have expertise and experience related to the dissertation content area, must have experience of serving on at least one committee for doctoral dissertations, and must provide a curriculum vitae with their credentials to the program director. It is the responsibility of the student to complete and forward the External Committee Member Request Form to the program director for review and approval. A dissertation committee may also include non-voting advisory members, who may contribute to the shape and content of the document. Advisory members are in addition to the chair and two other core members, and must have a terminal doctoral degree in their discipline from a regionally accredited university and be approved by the dissertation chair. Committee members (core and non-voting advisory) cannot have a dual relationship with the student (e.g., paid clinical supervisor), and may not be from among the student’s family members or personal friends, nor have graduated from the department or college within the past academic year (i.e., must be 1-year post graduation). The Dissertation Chair Only one of the dissertation committee members is designated as chair. The chair must be a full-time faculty member in the Department of Couple and Family Therapy. The dissertation chair is the primary mentor for the student and provides guidance and support to the student throughout the entire dissertation process. To be supportive, a chair should have some familiarity with either the student's proposed area of research or contemplated methodology. The chair is responsible for tracking the student’s progress and helping to develop a timeline for degree completion. It is critical for the student to have a designated chair first, before other committee members. The program director may be helpful in this selection process. It is essential for a chair to be supportive of the student's area of research. The chair may provide guidance in honing the dissertation topic; however, the student is responsible for the choice of research area. After a general research topic has been chosen and a preliminary literature search has been conducted, the chair and the student should begin articulating the domain of the inquiry and composing a researchable question or questions for the dissertation. The chair is responsible for ensuring that the student graduates in a timely manner. It includes the student completing a dissertation plan with their chair and submitting it to the program director. In case of any changes to this plan, the student is responsible for notifying the program director.

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Responsibilities of the dissertation chair is to:

1. Work closely with the student to formulate the dissertation proposal. 2. Approve the dissertation proposal for distribution to the committee members. 3. Preside over the proposal defense. 4. Write a memo indicating the defense decision and any recommendations made by the

committee. Email the memo to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate, Graduate and Community Education, and cc the student, committee member(s), program director, and program coordinator.

5. Supervise data collection after the successful proposal defense. 6. Approve in writing, any changes in the dissertation activity. 7. Consult with the committee members as deemed appropriate. 8. Ensure that the recommended changes from the proposal defense memo are addressed

in the final dissertation. 9. Approve the final dissertation for distribution to the committee members. 10. Preside over the final defense. 11. Write a memo indicating the defense decision and any recommendations made by the

committee. Email the memo to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate, Graduate and Community Education and Department Chair, and cc the student, committee member(s), program director, and program coordinator.

12. Ensure that the recommended changes from the final defense memo are addressed in the final dissertation.

13. Email the final dissertation in PDF format to the program director for degree clearance. The Dissertation Committee Committee members are selected on a rotation process based on availability and department needs. When this process is completed, a Committee Approval Form must be signed by all relevant parties (chair, student, committee members, program director). This form is available via DocuSign to which the program coordinator can provide a link. Once a committee is formed and the approval form is filed with the program coordinator, there should not be any changes unless a faculty member is no longer able to serve on the committee due to extenuating circumstances (medical leave, faculty leaves the university). In the rare case that a change in committee is needed, the student must get approval from the chair, first. If approved, the chair will forward the request for change of committee to the program director for final review and approval. The new committee member will be appointed by the program director based on availability. A Committee Change Form must be signed by all relevant parties and be filed with the program coordinator. Note: All feedback from current committee members must be addressed by the student prior to approval of a change in committee. Committee members have a maximum of 4 weeks to review the draft of the chapters and provide feedback. In case of disagreement, the student must meet with the committee

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member(s). The chair must also be in communication with the committee member(s) in such a case. All three committee members must approve the drafts for the proposal and final defenses. If the committee member(s) and chair disagree, they are expected to have a meeting to address their differences and find a mutually agreed resolution. If a resolution is not reached, the department chair is responsible for convening a meeting with the committee and determining the course of action. Once the decision is made, the program director will notify the student. Dissertation Registration and Grades Registration. Students may register for dissertation after they have completed the majority of coursework (pathway courses and content courses), and have successfully passed Clinical Portfolio (qualifying exam). After the Committee Approval Form is filed, the student may register for dissertation credits. Registration is required for students to officially start working with their chair and other committee members. Students must register for a minimum of 3 hours of dissertation credit across three consecutive terms, for a total of 9 credits. Although a minimum of three terms (9 credits) of dissertation is required, the average length of time to complete the dissertation is four-to-five terms. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the program coordinator and program director to request registration for the dissertation course by the due date (before the beginning of each term). Full-Time Status. Three hours of dissertation credits is considered full-time by the program up to 9 credits. In subsequent terms beyond the 9-credit minimum, students must continually be registered for at least 1 dissertation credit each term until they successfully defend their dissertation. Once a student passes the Final Defense, students are not required to register for dissertation credit hours while working on their final revisions for degree conferral. Students have 60 days to make changes and submit the final PDF of the dissertation to the committee chair, who will then review and approve the changes and forward the PDF document to the program director. If the changes are not made by the due date, the student will be referred to KPCOM’s Student Progress and Advising Committee (SPAC) for lack of academic progress. Leave of Absence. Students are required to adhere to the dissertation guidelines and timelines. If, for some reason, a student cannot continue working on their dissertation, they must apply in writing to their dissertation chair and the program director requesting a leave of absence. If approved, the program director will provide the student with the Leave of Absence Form, which must be submitted by the student to remain in good academic standing. A student requesting a leave for longer than one term (i.e., two or more) may be unable, upon returning, to continue with the same dissertation chair and committee. The student must submit a written request to their dissertation chair for approval to continue their work and all dissertation forms must be updated. It is important to note that the student is responsible for ensuring that they graduate within the 7-year limit. Request for extension of time (beyond 7 years) will be forwarded to KPCOM’s Student Progress and Advising Committee (SPAC) for review. If a leave of absence is requested

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and approved, this does not extend the 7-year timeframe for completing the degree program. Students not enrolled in the program for more than two terms are considered inactive and are required to re-apply to the program. If approved for readmission, the student must be continually registered to remain in good standing in the program. Three terms/1 year is the maximum allowable leave of absence allowed for a student to remain active in the program. See Leave of Absence policy in KPCOM Student Handbook. Grades. The chair should be in regular contact with the student and give a grade of “PR” each term if the student is making progress. A PR grade cannot be assigned in situations where a student has not been in contact with the chair at least once per month, and an “NPR” grade should be given if the student is not making progress. In the case of extenuating circumstances, the program director must be consulted. If a student is given an NPR, the chair should notify the program director with specific and detailed reasons for the grade and related correspondence with the student for administrative follow up. Students who demonstrate lack of progress towards their degree requirements are referred to SPAC. A grade of “P” is given during the final term of dissertation after the student successfully passes the Final Defense. If the student completes the Final Defense in between terms the chair will submit a grade of PR for the term, and then submit a grade change request to P after the successful completion of the Final Defense.

II. STRUCTURE OF THE DISSSERTATION A completed research dissertation usually consists of five chapters, which is the main body of the paper, and other administrative components. The chapters may vary with the nature of the dissertation. For example, theoretical dissertations normally will not have a methods chapter, but should have a chapter explaining what the nature of the work will be. In some qualitative research approaches, the literature section may appear after the data analysis section or there may be more than one literature review chapter in the completed work. In any event, the student should clarify the content and organization of the proposal with their chair in advance of writing it. The order of the sections is listed, below.

• Title Page • Copyright Page • Committee Signature Page • Acknowledgements • Table of Contents • List of Tables (if applicable) • List of Figures (if applicable) • Abstract • Chapter I: Introduction • Chapter II: Literature Review • Chapter III: Methods

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• Chapter IV: Results • Chapter V: Discussion • References • Appendices (if applicable) • Biographical Sketch (optional)

The dissertation is to be written and produced as a completed document in a specified format. In writing the dissertation, the student should assume the readers to be intelligent individuals who are knowledgeable in the discipline, but who may not be experts in the particular area addressed by the dissertation. Hence, while the dissertation should not be written as a primer, sufficient background and definitions should be provided to enable the reader to grasp readily the concepts being addressed. The dissertation should be a well written and a professionally appearing document of publishable quality. More information is provided in the Writing Style and Format section. The proposal consists of the first three chapters and the final dissertation includes all five chapters. More information about the proposal and final dissertation is available in the Dissertation Process and Procedures section. Administrative Components of Dissertation Following are descriptions of each of the administrative components in the dissertation. Title Page. The title page contains the title of the proposal, the name of the student, and other information. The title should describe concisely the proposed study using the appropriate key words. Words which contribute nothing to the description should be omitted. For example, phrases such as “A Study of …”contribute nothing and should not be used. There is no specified title length; however, APA Style guidelines recommend keeping the title focused and concise. Copyright Page. The copyright page contains a copyright designation, the name of the student, and the month and the year of the defense. The month and year are updated after the Final Defense, and again after the final PDF document is submitted. Committee Signature Page. After the student completes the final revisions, the student must obtain signatures of the chair and other committee members indicating their approval of the dissertation. Acknowledgements. In the acknowledgements it is customary to thank those who have supported you throughout your dissertation process, including professional and personal acknowledgements. This may include: funding bodies (e.g., fellowship, grant, or scholarship), your chair, committee members, other faculty and staff, supervisors, colleagues/peers, librarian, editors/proofreaders, family, and friends. Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures. See Appendix C for example of how to format the Table of Contents, List of Tables (if applicable), and List of Figures (if applicable) pages.

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Abstract. The abstract should tell the reader what the dissertation is about. The student should briefly summarize the key points of the document, including the area of inquiry, the research question, the methodology, main results/findings, and key implications and conclusions. Because the abstract is a summary of the dissertation study, it is generally best to complete the it last after the main body chapters are completed. APA Style guidelines suggest limiting the abstract to 250 words. For the proposal, the abstract will only include the area of inquiry, the research question, the methodology include be shorter, so the abstract will be shorter during this phase and longer for the final phase. References. The references appear after the Chapter V. They should be formatted according to the APA manual (7th ed.) guidelines. Appendices. The need for a dissertation to be documented completely so as to permit independent replication usually requires the inclusion of appendices. Appendices typically contain materials that help to explain what has been done, but that are either too bulky or too tangential to incorporate in the text. The instructions given to the subjects/participants, consent forms, and original instruments or questionnaires are some of the materials that may appear in appendices. Some committees may require the student to include the raw data, such as transcripts or field notes, in an appendix. Biographical Sketch (optional). This is a brief, one or two-page, biographical sketch of the student. It is written in prose form and not as a curriculum vita. A typical biographical sketch will provide some information about the student's life, educational background, work experiences, research, and publications.

III. CHAPTER DESCRIPTIONS

The following information is a suggested outline for what to include in each chapter of the dissertation. However, the nature and number of these chapters may not be appropriate for all dissertations, and variations from these guidelines should be approved in advance with the student's chair and committee. The dissertation study will consist of Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Findings, and Discussion chapters. Because dissertation research will involve human subjects as participants and co-researchers, students must fully comply with all of the requirements of NSU’s Institutional Review Board, including securing consent to participate as research subjects. Chapter I: Introduction The first chapter of the body of the proposal should provide an overview of the dissertation and why it is important to the field. It includes several sections, described below. At the conclusion of the chapter, the reader should have a clear understanding of the area to be addressed in the dissertation. Start the chapter by introducing the topic of interest/inquiry, and, in general

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terms, what the dissertation study will accomplish. At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter I and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter II. The chapter should also include the sections described below. Background of the Problem. Summarize the major findings related to the topic of inquiry. What is known about the topic? What are some unresolved issues and/or contradictory findings? Cite relevant literature as necessary to define the inquiry domain and to support the pursuit of the research question(s). You will provide a detailed review of the literature in Chapter II. Statement of the Problem. Describe the need for your dissertation study based on current findings in the topic of inquiry (as discussed in the Background of the Problem section). Identify the specific problem or gap in the knowledge that your dissertation study will address. Purpose of the Study. Briefly summarize the components of your study. Identify the research aims and research question(s), the research design (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, autoethnography, phenomenology), the sample that will be used, the location of the study, and how you will collect the data (e.g., semi-structured interviews, online survey). You will provide more detailed information about your methodology in Chapter III. Significance of the Study. Describe why it is important to address your identified gap in the knowledge. Why is your study significant for various stakeholders and how will they be able to use this knowledge (e.g., participants in your study, family, policy makers, the field of couple and family therapy)? How will this knowledge improve the human condition and advance society? Theoretical Framework. Describe the foundational theory used to inform the dissertation research. Include information about the developers of the theory and key concepts. In Chapter V, you should relate the results of your study back to the theoretical framework. Depending on the nature of the dissertation, this section may be more appropriately placed in Chapter II. Definition of Terms. In this section provide definitions for key terms used in the dissertation. Only include terms that knowledgeable readers may not necessarily be familiar with, and/or terms that may have more than one meaning. Depending on the nature of the dissertation, it may be more appropriate to define key terms the first time they are mentioned rather than having a separate section listing the definitions. Chapter II: Literature Review The literature review chapter should be a critical discussion and examination of the empirical literature relevant to the topic of inquiry and research question(s) and should logically flow out of the Introduction. The extent of the review is, in part, determined by the committee, but all relevant research which articulates the inquiry domain and bears on the dissertation question(s) should be included. Every effort should be made to include the most current

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relevant literature. Historic literature should be included only to the extent that it is directly relevant or necessary to place the research question(s) in context. At the beginning of the chapter include a paragraph that indicates the purpose of the chapter and how the major sections of the chapter are organized. Establish the need for the dissertation study by comparing and contrasting existing studies and how it relates to the purpose of the dissertation. Organize the studies by main themes/content areas directly related to the topic of inquiry, which can be used as section headings. For each study reviewed, include basic information about the studies, including: sample (N) size, pertinent demographic information of the sample, location of the study, methodology, research question(s), and main conclusions. If there are theoretical articles on the topic, then indicate this and provide descriptive information about them. Providing this detailed information helps the reader gain an understanding of existing empirical literature relative to the gap in the knowledge. At the end of the chapter, there should be a section in which the student clearly states that based on the literature review, the identified gap in the knowledge has not been studied. The student should also make a statement that brings the singular focus of the study to light. This statement should be something to the effect of, " Given the preceding discussion, the question (or questions) addressed by the current dissertation research is ..." This statement should be logically related to the inquiry domain (articulated in the Introduction) and to the literature review. Summarize the main points discussed in Chapter II and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter III. Chapter III: Methods While all aspects of the dissertation are important, the methodS section is critical, as it presents the details of the research process. Although the exact content of this section will vary as a function of the nature of the particular research, a description of the choice of paradigms and methodology should be a clear guide of how you will proceed with your research. It is important to be as detailed as possible to minimize potential questions or red flags when it comes time for you to submit for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Students should include all of the required information for the New Protocol Submission Form, as outlined under the Protocol section of this document on pages 13-14. At the beginning of the chapter include a paragraph that reiterates the purpose of the dissertation study, the research aims, and research question(s). At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter III and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter IV. The methodS chapter also generally includes the following sections: Research Design. Describe the chosen research approach (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods), the specific method utilized (e.g., autoethnography, phenomenology, online survey), and the appropriateness of the research design for your study.

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Self of the Researcher. Include detailed description of what posture(s) you will take as a researcher, for example, participant-observer, clinical interviewer, researching therapist, etc. Answer such questions as: How do these roles fit with the research question(s) and theoretical framework? What is your prior experience, research or otherwise, that affects this study [such as researcher bias]? Sampling and Recruitment. Answers to the questions of who, what, why, where, etc. need to be clearly identified. Participants and/or sites: Who or what are they? Where are they located? Why were they selected? How were they chosen? What strategies will be used to recruit participants? What are the ethical concerns regarding access (such as confidentiality)? When and how often will you meet with participants? etc. Data Collection and Procedures (or Instrumentation). Include detailed rationale and descriptions of what will be done, when, how, for how long, why, etc. What instrument(s) will be used to collect the data? For example, if the study involves interviews, what interview protocol will be used? Give sufficient detail for an independent researcher to replicate the study. Data Analysis. Describe the rationale for, and the various steps of, the proposed analytic process, whether qualitative, graphical, statistical, or other). What strategy(ies)/tools will be used to analyze the data? What are the specific steps involved? How will you organize the data? Trustworthiness and Credibility (qualitative), OR, Reliability and Validity (quantitative study). Base this information relative to the method used, since the language of each method varies. For a qualitative study discuss issues of trustworthiness and credibility. For a quantitative study discuss issues of reliability, validity, and generalizability. For both types of methodologies discuss the ethical issues related to the study. Chapter IV: Results This chapter is quite often the longest of the dissertation. In it, the student presents the raw results of the study. The chapter begins with an introduction in which the student lays out the organization of how the results will be presented. The results of the analysis, such as themes, categories, central tendencies, ranges, and/or inferences, are presented. In quantitative research studies, the data are usually presented in the form of tables, graphs, and figures. In qualitative research studies, considerable amounts of data are presented and may consist of excerpts from transcribed interviews or conversations, field notes, and/or historical documents. At the end of the chapter, summarize the main points discussed in Chapter IV and briefly indicate what will be discussed in Chapter V. Chapter V: Discussion In the previous chapter you presented the raw data of your results. In this chapter you present your interpretation of the results and explain what the findings suggest. At the beginning of the

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chapter include a paragraph that indicates the purpose of the chapter and how the major sections of the chapter are organized. Discuss what the results mean in light of your research question(s) and aim(s), and the literature reviewed in Chapter II. Were they consistent or inconsistent with the literature? Were there any surprises? Did your study confirm what was already established in the literature and/or did it contribute something new? This chapter should also include a discussion about the implications of the study for the participants and various stakeholders (e.g., families, therapists, community agencies, couple/marriage and family therapy programs/training). The student should also discuss strengths and limitations of the study, contributions made to the field, and future directions for research in the area of study addressed in the dissertation. This chapter may also include prescriptive sections in which the student suggests certain policy or behavioral changes based upon the analysis of the data. At the end of the chapter there should be a concluding paragraph that leaves the reader with main take always from the study, and final thoughts you believe are important to highlight. The APA Style Discussion Phrases Guide may be a helpful resource for writing this chapter: https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/discussion-phrases-guide.pdf.

IV. DISSERTATION PROCESS AND PROCEDURES The dissertation process consists of the following steps:

1. Dissertation proposal write-up (Chapters I, II, and III) 2. Dissertation proposal defense 3. Application for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval 4. Final dissertation write-up (all five chapters) 5. Final defense 6. Final revisions and submission of PDF document to the program director and program

coordinator for degree clearance. Content of the Proposal. After the formation of the dissertation committee, the student must develop a formal dissertation proposal, which includes the following: Title Page, Copyright Page, Table of Contents, List of Tables (if applicable), List of Figures (if applicable), Abstract, Chapter I: Introduction, Chapter II: Literature Review, Chapter III: Methodology, and References. While individual committees may function in slightly different ways, the student first should discuss the research question(s) for the dissertation and how to proceed with the development of the proposal with the committee chair. The student should confer with the committee as needed, as determined by the chair. Writing the Proposal. The proposal should be written in future tense because the student is proposing their dissertation study to their committee. The chair must approve the first three chapters before distributing them to the committee members. The student works closely with the chair on several drafts of the proposal until the chair determines that it is in its best form/high quality (e.g., main content sections are included, minimal writing and APA formatting

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errors) prior to sending it to the committee members. It is the responsibility of the chair to review the proposal draft using the Turnitin option in the Canvas course before approving the draft. The chair (not the student) should email the proposal to the committee members to ensure that it is the draft approved by the chair. The chair and committee members have up to 4 weeks to review each draft and provide feedback to the student. The chair and both committee members must approve the draft for the student to move forward with the Proposal Defense. Applying for IRB Approval and Study Implementation. Following a successful Proposal Defense, the student may move forward with applying for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. More information about the IRB application process is included in the next section of this document. Once the student receives an email confirmation of approval from the college IRB representative, the student may begin their study, incorporating any modifications in research design resulting from the Proposal Defense. It is important that the student follow the proposed procedures outlined on pages 14-16. It is advisable that the student maintain frequent contact with the committee chair throughout the dissertation process in order to obtain ongoing feedback regarding the progress of the study. In the event the student finds it necessary to make modifications in the research, it is important that such changes be cleared with the committee to avoid problems and confusion in the Final Defense. Modifications may also need to be submitted to and approved by the IRB. Content of the Final Dissertation. The final dissertation includes all five chapters and administrative components described on pages 7-8 of this document. Now that the study is completed, Chapters I, II, and III must be revised to past tense instead of future tense. These chapters must also need to be revised to incorporate recommendations from the Proposal Defense, as well as any modifications made to the research design. The content of the dissertation should be as complete and thorough as is necessary to cover the topic. At the end of the study, the student should be an expert on the topic, perhaps the foremost expert in the field. Writing the Final Dissertation. The writing of the document should reflect that it has been prepared by such an expert. Further, the student should provide sufficient detail to permit the independent replication of the research. The dissertation, in its final form, should be a well written and professionally appearing document of publishable quality. In producing the dissertation, the student must adhere to the guidelines detailed in the Format and Style of the Dissertation section of this document. As was the case for the proposal, the student works closely with the chair on several drafts of the final dissertation until the chair determines that it is in its best form/high quality. It is highly recommended that the student minimally has someone other than the chair proofread the document prior to submitting it to the other committee members (e.g., NSU writing consultant, trusted peer/colleague). Some students hire a professional editor, which may be suggested by the student’s committee. The chair (not the student) should email the dissertation to the committee members to ensure that it is the draft approved by the chair. The chair and

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committee members have up to 4 weeks to review each draft and provide feedback to the student. The chair and both committee members must approve the draft for the student to move forward with the Final Defense. Institutional Review Board The university has standards for the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects governed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). All investigators must apply for IRB approval before they can begin a research study. After the chair sends the memo to the Associate Dean, the student can submit the New Protocol Submission Form for IRB approval. Students may not begin any research activity (e.g., recruiting participants, conducting interviews) until they receive IRB approval. More detailed information about the protocol is available in the Protocol section, below. Information about the steps involved in the IRB process, IRB forms and templates, and other resources are available at https://www.nova.edu/irb/index.html. The IRB Office holds open forum Q&A sessions on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (see https://www.nova.edu/irb/process/investigators.html). The IRB board convenes once per month to review applications that require the full review process. Many studies fall into the expedited review category, which is only reviewed by the college IRB representative and is a quicker process. However, the IRB office may require revisions to be made to the application. Therefore, it is recommended that students allow for 3-4 weeks to go through the IRB process. The IRB manual provides detailed information to support institutional initiatives for guaranteeing compliance with federal regulations governing the protection of human subjects and to guide principal investigators in procedures relevant to the development of research protocols that include human subjects. Humans whose physiologic or behavioral characteristics or whose understanding of their lived experiences, and responses are the object of study are referred to as subjects; however, the University in no way intends to demean the humanity and individualism of such persons. Recognizing that regulations and policies and procedures are no guarantee of ethical conduct, it is the responsibility of individual researchers to make ethical considerations central in the conduct of r search and to have a clear understanding of their duties to human subjects. Any research that involves human subjects conducted by NSU faculty or students, whether funded or unfunded, shall be under the jurisdiction of the IRB. The IRB is responsible for determining and assuring that 1) the welfare and rights of human subjects are adequately protected and informed consent given, if necessary; 2) human subjects are not placed at unreasonable physical, mental, or emotional risk as a result of research; 3) the necessity and importance of the research outweighs the risks to the subjects; and 4) the researcher(s) is/are qualified to conduct research involving human subjects. Criteria for Approval of Research. In order to approve human subjects for research, the IRB will determine that all of the following requirements are satisfied:

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1. Risks to subjects are minimal 2. Risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits 3. Selection of subjects is reasonable 4. Informed consent will be sought from each prospective subject or the subject's

legally authorized representative 5. Informed consent will be appropriately documented 6. When appropriate, the research plan makes adequate provision for monitoring the

data collected to ensure the safety of subjects 7. When appropriate, adequate provisions exist to protect the privacy of subjects and

to maintain the confidentiality of data 8. Additional safeguards have been included in the study to protect the rights and

welfare of vulnerable populations, such as children; prisoners; pregnant women; mentally disabled persons; or, economically or educationally disadvantaged individuals

Protocol. For all research involving human subjects, the principal investigator will be responsible for completing the New Protocol Submission Form. The IRB protocol is the formal design or plan for the proposed experiment or research activity; specifically, it is the plan submitted to the IRB for review and subsequently, to an agency for research support. The protocol includes a description of the research design or methodology to be employed, the eligibility requirements for prospective subjects and controls, the treatment regimen(s), and the proposed methods of analysis that will be performed on the collected data. The following format should be used in developing the research protocol.

• Description of study • Purpose and potential benefits. Summarize the background, rationale, nature, and

significance of the proposed research. • Location. Identify all sites at which research will be conducted. • Dates of study. Include month/day/year of start and end dates of study. • Subjects/participants. Include estimated number and description of types of subjects

(e.g., normal volunteers, pregnant women, and students), age, sex, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and source of subjects (e.g., referral sources).

• Methods and procedures. Provide details on subject recruitment, nature and type of evaluation, subject's time commitment, proposed follow-up, debriefings when indicated, and any other information necessary to evaluate the involvement of subjects in the research.

• Participant payments or costs. Indicate whether the subjects will be offered an incentive to participate in the study and if so, in what form (e.g., cash, meals, taxi fare, etc.) and in what amount.

• Subject confidentiality. Indicate the extent to which confidentiality of records identifying subjects will be maintained. Be specific where will the records be maintained and who will have access to the records.

• Potential risks to subjects. Specify any risks (physical, social, psychological, legal), indicate precautions instituted to minimize risks, and describe procedures to be

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followed in the event of problems. Specify the results of pilot work or the work of others with similar procedures.

• Risk/benefit ratio. Specify the level of risk in relation to anticipated benefits. • Informed consent. A copy of all proposed informed consent forms must be attached to

the research protocol. Refer to the instructions in the most current version of the IRB manual for developing the informed consent form(s).

Scheduling the Defense Both the Proposal Defense and the Final Defense follow the same proceedings as outlined below. The student can move forward with scheduling the defense after receiving approval from the chair and committee members. It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate with the chair and committee members to determine a date for the defense. The student must email the department administrative assistant 3 weeks prior to the requested defense date to schedule. Before the student can schedule their defense date, they must go to Webstar and pull their Degree Works report to verify that all of the program requirements are met for the defense. If there are any issues with the Degree Works report, the student must contact the program coordinator to resolve the issues. The student must also have the most current Committee Approval Form on file prior to the Proposal Defense (they must verify this with the program coordinator). These are the requirements that must be met prior to the Proposal Defense:

• Pass all course work with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or above. Nothing lower than a “C” is permitted. Only one “C” or “C+” is allowed.

• Pass, or show evidence of having passed, the Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues in MFT course with a “B-” or better.

• Participate in at least three Annual Reviews (conducted in the summer term for the first three years of program).

• Complete all required Internal Practicums. • Pass Clinical Portfolio (qualifying exam).

These are the requirements that must be met prior to the Final Defense:

• Successfully complete a Clinical Internship (or Research/Hybrid if approved) of 9 credits minimum across 3 consecutive terms.

• Successfully defend the Proposal Defense. • Complete 1,000 client contact hours (minimum of 400 relational hours) in conjunction

with 200 hours of supervision by a qualified supervisor (contact the practicum/internship coordinator to verify).

• Complete all required coursework for the degree. • Earn 81-114 credit hours (depending on student’s educational background). • Comply with remediation plans, as specified, if necessary.

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• Maintain continuous ethical/professional conduct throughout the program. • Complete all requirements above within the stated time limit of the program.

There is a 2-week announcement period prior to the defense. The administrative assistant shall prepare an official notice of the defense and distribute it and the abstract to all Department of Couples and Family Therapy faculty, professional staff, and doctoral students. Defense Proceedings Both the Proposal Defense and Final Defense follow the same proceedings as outlined below.

• The defense is scheduled for 1.5 hours. • The defense will include all the committee members. • The chair will preside over the defense proceedings. • The student will make a 30 to 45-minute presentation and will describe the dissertation

in detail. After the oral presentation, the student should be prepared to answer any relevant questions.

• The defense must provide an opportunity for the faculty and students to ask questions and to offer constructive feedback.

• After the presentation and question sections, the chair will excuse the student and others who are attending the defense so the committee can deliberate. Any decision regarding the status of the proposal (i.e., pass or fail) and any modifications and/or revisions to be made to the text remains with the committee members.

• It is the responsibility of the committee chair to see that any modification and/or revision agreed upon by the committee is accurately recorded.

• The proposal must be unanimously accepted by all members of the committee. • After this deliberation, the student is called into the committee meeting and the results

of the defense (i.e., pass or fail, modifications, and revisions) are discussed. The student may want to record this discussion to reference at a later time when making the revisions.

• If the committee accepts both the dissertation and the student's defense of it, the student will then make all final revisions and present it to the chair.

• After the defense, the chair will write a memo to the KPCOM Associate Dean of Undergraduate, Graduate, and Community Education and Department Chair with the committee decision and recommended revisions. The chair will share the draft with the committee members first to ensure accuracy, then email the final version to the Associate Dean and Department Chair, and cc the committee members, the student, program director, and program coordinator.

In the Proposal Defense the student presents information on Chapters I: Introduction, Chapter II: Literature Review, and Chapter III: Methodology. A general guideline for the Proposal Defense presentation is 15 minutes for Chapter I, 15 minutes for Chapter II, and 10 minutes for Chapter III. The Final Defense presentation should focus on Chapter IV: Results and Chapter V: Discussion. A general guideline for the Final Defense presentation is 15 minutes to summarize

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Chapters I, II, and III (which were discussed in detail during the Proposal Defense), 15 minutes for Chapter IV, and 15 minutes for Chapter V. Unlike the Proposal Defense, the Final Defense is open to the public. The student may invite family, friends and colleagues to the Final Defense. If the committee accepts both the dissertation and the student's defense of it, the student will then make all final revisions and present it to the chair who ensures that all recommendations are made. Students have 60 days past the Final Defense date to complete the final revisions. Students are allowed to defend in between terms if needed, and it is still considered to be part of the previous term. They will not be required to pay tuition as long as they complete the defense before the start of the next term. Students cannot do their Proposal Defense and their Final Defense within the same term. Degree Conferral, Commencement, and Graduation Degree Conferral. For degree conferral, the online degree application must be submitted at https://www.nova.edu/registrar/instructions.html. It is recommended that students complete the degree application when they are approved to schedule their Final Defense. The chair must submit the student’s final document in PDF format to the program director within 60 days of the Final Defense date. The Program Director will verify that the final PDF document is formatted correctly and will add the following information to the Signature Approval page: date of Final Defense, date of final approval (the date the Program Director approves the document), and electronic signatures of the committee. The Program Director will then email the final PDF document to the Program Coordinator approving the student for degree clearance, and will cc the chair and other committee members. Degrees are conferred at the end of each month and takes approximately 30 days to process everything. All degree requirements must be met by the 15th of the month (including the degree application) for conferral by the end of the month. Conferral requests are reviewed by faculty, SPAC, and the Dean for approval. Applications received after the 15th of the month will be considered for conferral in the following month. The Registrar will post the degree conferral to the student’s transcript 2-5 business days after the last day of the month. The Registrar mails out diplomas 3-4 weeks after conferral to the address they have on file for the student. Please note, the “Dr.” prefix cannot be used until the degree appears on the student’s transcript as conferred. Students may contact the Program Coordinator if they have questions about degree conferral. Commencement. It is important to understand that commencement and graduation are two separate processes. Commencement is the ceremony that recognizes students’ academic achievements. Commencement is held once per year, and students are eligible to participate in the ceremony prior to degree conferral if they have completed the majority of the degree requirements and receive approval from the department. Participating in commencement does not mean that the student has officially graduated. More information about commencement is available at https://www.nova.edu/commencement/index.html.

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Graduation. Graduation is the fulfillment of all degree requirements, including the successful completion of the Final Defense, completion of client contact hours and supervision hours, submission of the degree application and final PDF document of the dissertation with the completed Signature Approval page. The student’s graduating class is the year that the degree is conferred and the fulfillment of all degree requirements are recorded on the student’s transcript, regardless of when the participates in commencement. After you graduate, your NSU email address will be discontinued. To retain your NSU email address service please contact the NSU Help Desk Support at help@nova.edu or 954-262-4357 or 1800-541-NOVA Ext: 24357. More information about this is available athttps://www.nova.edu/oiit/office-365/mynsumigration/index.html. Publishing the Dissertation ProQuest. As a final step, the student should upload the final PDF document to ProQuest Dissertation Publishing at https://www.etdadmin.com/main/home. ProQuest Dissertation Publishing has been publishing dissertations and theses since 1938. In that time, they have published over 2 million graduate works from graduate schools around the world. Students must select one of the two options: open access where the dissertation is available to the public, or traditional, where the publication is only available to institutions that pay for access, such as universities. There is a fee for open access and it is the student’s decision if they want to pay this fee. Binding. Submissions of dissertations to the library are only being done electronically and students are no longer required to submit a hard copy bound book to the department. Students may choose to get a printed copy for personal use, in which case they can contact D & B Book Binders LLC at 305-885-5215, http://www.dbbinders.com/. Please note, if you get your book bound, it will be important to ensure that the correct information is on the binding of the book (Dissertation or Applied Clinical Project). Dissemination of the Dissertation. The student is strongly encouraged to disseminate their dissertation research to the larger field by writing papers and making presentations. For many beginning scholars, the process of becoming established as a writer begins by adapting their dissertation into a publishable manuscript(s). The APA manual presents some very helpful advice on this conversion process. Publications and presentations arising out of the dissertation may or may not include the chair and/or committee members as co-authors or co-presenters, depending on the nature of their involvement. It is customary for the student to invite the chair to be 2nd author/presenter first, given their significant contribution to supporting the student’s dissertation. If the chair and/or committee members do not contribute to the publication/presentation, they should not ethically be included as a co-authors/co-presenters. It is best to discuss publication and presentation issues early in the dissertation process.

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V. WRITING STYLE AND FORMAT The dissertation should be well written and adhere to standards of modern English usage. It is advisable for the student to have someone else (e.g., a colleague, spouse, or friend) critically read the proposal and the dissertation prior to submitting them to the committee members. Typically, faculty become distracted when a document is poorly written, has typographical errors, spelling mistakes, incorrect grammar, or other style problems. The NSU Writing and Communication Center has resources for students, including workshops and one-on-one sessions with writing consultants. More information is available at https://www.nova.edu/wcc/index.html. In producing the dissertation, the student must follow all guidelines detailed in this section. These are very precise guidelines, and it is the student's responsibility to ensure correctness. The proposal and the final dissertation must be in final form prior to the defense. The dissertation, including the proposal, must be written in APA Style in accordance with the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Many of the guidelines in this document have been adapted from that manual. The APA manual is usually available at the NSU Bookstore or ordered online. Although the APA manual addresses some elements of grammar and punctuation, students who are not accomplished writers may find it useful to refer to a standard reference source on grammar and punctuation. As a complement to the above-mentioned style guide, electronic sources are available for further referencing. APA Style information and guides area available at https://apastyle.apa.org/. Another useful website is the Online Purdue Writing Lab at https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html. In using the APA manual, the student should be aware that many of the manuscript preparation guidelines are intended for authors who are submitting articles for publication and are not for the production of a final document, such as the dissertation. For example, in a dissertation the student should place a table at the appropriate location in the document rather than indicate to the type setter "Insert table 1 about here," as directed in a style manual. There is an appendix in the APA manual that addresses some of the differences required for final manuscripts. Writing Conventions The student should carefully review the APA manual before producing the dissertation document. These guidelines are intended to complement and not replace those manuals. However, this section is included to highlight several writing conventions frequently overlooked or not followed in student documents. More writing guidelines are provided at https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/concise-guide-formatting-checklist.pdf. Tables, Figures, and Footnotes. Tables and figures should be placed as closely as possible to the place in the text where they are first referenced. Short tables and figures look better if they appear on a page with text. Larger tables and figures may have to be placed on a separate page

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without text. Titles are placed above the tables. Examples of APA Style tables are available at https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/sample-tables. Figure captions are placed below the figures. Samples of APA Style figures are available at https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/sample-figures. A review of the APA Manual is best. Footnotes (not references) to the text are positioned at the bottom of the page on which they are referenced. Footnotes can be distracting and should be used sparingly. Bias-Free Language. Authors should avoid using stereotyped and biased language in all professional writing. To do so often requires some thought and perhaps some rewrites. Instead, use bias-free language that is respectful and inclusive. For example, instead of using gender pronouns of she/he and his/her, replace with the nongender binary pronouns they/them/theirs. The APA manual discusses this issue and provides a set of guidelines at https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language// Tense Agreements. Tenses must be in agreement in each sentence and paragraph. Plurals. The plural of some nouns, particularly those that end in "a," may appear to be singular. Consequently, some authors use a verb which does not agree with the noun. Common nouns of this type are "data" and "phenomena." It is correct to say, "The data are indicative of a positive trend," and incorrect to say, "The data is indicative of a positive trend." Commas in a Series. In professional writing, a comma is used before "and" and "or" in a series of three or more items. Hence, correct usage is "red, white, and blue." Quotation Marks. Quotation marks are placed after punctuation marks such as commas and periods. For example: Jason said, "I went to the laboratory."

Latin Abbreviations. Some Latin abbreviations are misused and mispunctuated. The following are correct:

• i.e., that is • e.g., for example • etc. and so forth • et al., and others (A common mistake is to place a period after et which is incorrect

because et is not an abbreviation. Abbreviations are not used in the running text.) • vs. versus • viz., namely

Contractions. The APA manual does not specifically address the use of contractions. However, in academic writing it is customary to avoid using contractions (e.g., can’t, it’s) unless it is a direct quote. Spell out all of the word (e.g., cannot, it is).

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Direct Quotes. APA Style suggests paraphrasing or summarizing information from a source rather than using a direct quote. The dissertation is an original scholarly work, and it is important to express your perspectives about a particular issue or topic in your own words citing sources to support your ideas. Plagiarism While the vast majority of doctoral candidates do their own, original work, carefully documenting the use of other people's words and ideas, plagiarism occasionally occurs. As with all student and professional writing, it is imperative that the writer give appropriate credit to the works of others. If the language used is taken from another source, it should be set off in quotation marks and conscientiously referenced. If the ideas used are taken from another source, they also should be conscientiously referenced. Such care is important and required even in rough drafts of the dissertation. Nova Southeastern University and the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) regard all forms of academic misconduct as serious offenses. Matters related to plagiarism and academic dishonesty are brought to the attention of the program director who informs the department chair, and, in turn, such matters are referred to the SPAC for review and recommendations to the dean. Such matters are considered code of conduct violations. It is the responsibility of the chair to review the proposal draft using the Turnitin option in the Canvas course before approving the student to move forward with their Proposal Defense. In the event a student is guilty of plagiarism, the maximum-and usual-sanction is dismissal from the program and from the university. Also see KPCOM Student Handbook (https://osteopathic.nova.edu/publications/forms/kpcom_student_handbook_2022.pdf) for additional information on authorship and plagiarism. Format It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the dissertation is in the proper format. Referring to previous dissertations may be helpful but may also contain errors; thus, the final authorities are these guidelines and style manuals. If students have questions, consult with the chair or program director. Students should use the Dissertation Formatting Template for proper formatting, available at https://osteopathic.nova.edu/ft/resources/index.html. Following are some basic formatting guidelines. Margins. The left-hand margin must be 1.5 inches; the top, side, and bottom margins must be 1 inch. It is necessary that the student carefully adhere to the minimum margin requirements, since some of each margin is trimmed in the binding process (if you choose to get your dissertation bound). Pagination. Two sets of page numbers are to be used in the dissertation. The preliminary pages (from the title page up to the main body of the dissertation) should be numbered with lower case Roman numerals (i.e., i, ii, iii, etc.), centered at the bottom of the page. The second set of

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numbers, Arabic numbers (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.), begins with the first page of Chapter I and continues throughout the document including the References, Appendices, and Biographical Sketch. Every page of the dissertation must be assigned a number even though on some pages the number will not appear. In using the Roman numerals, the title, copyright, and signature approval pages are assigned numbers (i, ii, and ii), but they do not appear on the pages. Each of the other preliminary pages must show a number. In using Arabic numerals, the first page of any major subdivision (the first page of Chapter I, II, III, IV, V) does not have the number written on it. The small lower-case Roman numerals beginning with "iv" are centered and placed 1 inch from the bottom edge of the paper. The Arabic numbered pages are numbered consecutively in the upper right-hand comer, one inch from the top edge and one inch from the right edge of the paper. Arabic numbers are never shown at the bottom of the page. Line Spacing. The dissertation must be prepared as double-spaced lines throughout the entire document with the exception of tables, figures, and appendices. Paragraphs. APA Style recommends three to five or more sentences in a paragraph, and about three paragraphs per page. Paragraphs with one to two sentences are usually seen as too abrupt and perhaps too devoid of content to stand alone. Paragraphs that are too long should also be avoided and are tiresome to read. Continuity. In order to maintain continuity and readability in producing the dissertation, avoid isolating words or lines at the beginning or end of a page. There always should be at least two lines of a paragraph at the bottom of a page and at least one and a half lines at the top of the following page. Never leave a single line of a paragraph at the bottom or top of a page (i.e., avoid "widows and orphans"). Also, a word should never be hyphenated and carried over to the next page. Utilize the format option to handle hyphenation and widow and orphan problems.