Research and Writing of the Thesis Project – DMIN 880

Course Description

An introduction to the thesis writing process and how ministry is enhanced using current electronic resources. Students will be introduced to all phases of the d.min thesis writing process, including the thesis timeline, research, writing the thesis, and the finished product, including the abstract and the vita. Students will become familiar with the Thesis Manual and with resources available to them through the library and the Liberty University Writing Center. Use of electronic databases for ministry research and Turabian Formatting will be introduced.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

DMIN 880 sits at the critical juncture between course completion and thesis project research and writing. The course design guides Doctor of Ministry students through the dissertation process and provides direction regarding appropriate research methods culminating in a final written product.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board Forums (4)

Discussion Boards are collaborative learning experiences. The student is required to create a thread in response to the instructor provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to one other classmates’ thread. The reply must be at least 200 words. CLO: A, C

Memo to Myself

First half: Identify your thesis title and topic. Second half: Explain your understanding of an action research project, (that it includes a local ministry project that is measurable, including a pre and post assessment and an intervention to solve the problem). Share what those plans are in your research project.. CLO: A, F

Thesis Title, Topic, and Abstract

The student will follow the directions for developing a thesis Title, Topic, and Abstract set out in the Thesis Project Handbook. He/She will consult Kibbe, From Topic to Thesis to complete this assignment. CLO: A, E

Thesis Project: Introduction

The student will submit a draft of his/her thesis project Introduction comprising five (5) sections as set out in the most recent Thesis Project Handbook. The sections will be completed across five (5) modules. The Introduction serves as the prospectus or proposal for the student’s thesis project and explains what he/she plans to do to carry out the study. Therefore, the student will write the entire Introduction in the future tense. Length and content guidelines for this assignment are in the Thesis Project Handbook and the student must follow its guidelines when preparing the Introduction for submission. He/She will consult, Sensing, Qualitative Research as he/she completes this assignment. CLO: B, E

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Application

This assignment serves as a means for becoming familiar with IRB requirements and expectations. Consult Sensing, Qualitative Research (Appendix 1 and Appendix 2) as you complete this assignment. It will be submitted in two parts. CLO: D

• IRB Application – Draft

The student will complete the IRB Application provided in Blackboard.

• IRB Application – Corrected

The student will address all of the instructor’s feedback from the IRB Application Draft, before submitting the corrected version to Blackboard.