The concepts and procedures necessary to prepare a dissertation at Columbia Southern University are covered in the following courses:

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1 DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper Course Syllabus Course Description Presents the procedures necessary to prepare a dissertation concept paper. The concept paper is the first in a sequence of dissertation documents including preparation of the concept, methodology, the proposal, and the manuscript. Summary The concepts and procedures necessary to prepare a dissertation at Columbia Southern University are covered in the following courses: DBA 9306A/9406A Dissertation/Project - Concept Paper DBA 9306B/9406B Dissertation/Project - Methodology/Ethics DBA 9306C Dissertation Proposal DBA 9306D/9406D Dissertation/Project Manuscript/Report The first course in this dissertation sequence (DBA 9306A/9406A) summarizes general concerns and requirements, culminating in the composition of a research concept paper. Students were first introduced to the process of developing a concept paper in DBA 7240, Doctoral Writing and Inquiry Into Research. The research concept developed in DBA 7240 may or may not still be of interest. Any students who have chosen to continue with the same research topic that they explored in their concept paper from DBA 7240 will now expand that same concept paper as they conduct more in-depth research. Most students will have likely changed their research topic to explore in their dissertation. The task of identifying a new area of research requires: Developing an overview of the proposed topic of research Conducting a review of related literature Preparing a description of proposed research methods Composing the concept paper Course Textbook The textbooks used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA 8149, may also be used for supplemental reading and references in the Unit I Study Guide. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Apply foundation concepts of research. 2. Summarize the existing body of knowledge on the research topic. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 1

2 Course Structure 1. Unit Lesson: Unit I contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses course material. 2. Discussion Board: Unit I contains a Discussion Board. Information and specifications regarding this assignment are provided in the Academic Policies listed in the Course Menu bar. 3. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Units III, IV, and V. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with the Unit IV and V Assignments. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. Units II, VI, and VII are intentionally left blank. 4. Concept Paper: Students are required to submit for grading a Concept Paper in Unit VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding this assignment are provided below. A grading rubric is included with this assignment. Specific information for accessing this rubric is included below. 5. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 6. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. CSU Online Library There is a virtual library with resources, including both journals and ebooks, to support your program and your course at Columbia Southern University. eresources are accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week from the CSU Online Library gateway page. To access the library, log into mycsu, and then click on CSU Online Library. Resources are organized in the library by title, but if you click on Research Guides, you will find eresources arranged by subject. The Library Reference service is available 7 days a week; you can reach CSU s virtual librarians by ing thevirtuallibrarian@columbiasouthern.edu. These professional librarians will be glad to help you develop your research plan or to assist you in any way in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Librarian responses may occur within minutes or hours, but it will never take more than 24 hours for a librarian to send a response to the address you have provided. Replies to reference requests may include customized keyword search strategies, links to videos, research guides, screen captures, attachments, a phone call, live screen sharing, and meeting room appointments, as well as other forms of instruction. Unit Assignments Unit III Assignment Concept Paper Topic Click here to access the Ten Strategic Points Template. Locate the Ten Strategic Points Document in the Dissertation Center in Blackboard, Dissertation Course Information (left side menu), DBA 9306A/9406A Concept Paper folder, Ten Strategic Points Document, and download that document to complete this assignment. (There is a template and a document with directions). Note: The research gap identified for your topic must be supported by citing the study that outlines the need for future research in this area. Unit IV Annotated Bibliography Create an annotated bibliography containing five (5) current empirical research related to the topic of interest. Each annotation should contain the following: Purpose of the study Research questions Sample population Results of the study Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 2

3 Unit V Assignment Concept Paper Draft Click here to access the concept paper template. Submit the first draft of the concept paper using the concept paper template. Use the annotated bibliographies to assist in the literature review section. The instructor will return the concept paper to you for revisions. You should use the Track Changes feature of Microsoft Word to make changes to the document. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Concept Paper Click here to access the concept paper template. Once you have been notified of full committee approval of your concept paper by your chair, upload the final version in Unit VIII. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. APA Guidelines CSU requires that students use APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Students can find CSU s Citation Guide in the mycsu Student Portal by clicking on the Citation Resources link in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center. Blackboard Grading Rubrics Assignment Rubrics One or more assignments in this course utilizes a Blackboard Grading Rubric. A rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Your professor will use the Blackboard Grading Rubric to assign points and provide feedback for the assignment. You are encouraged to view the assignment rubric before submitting your work. This will allow you to review the evaluation criteria as you prepare your assignments. You may access the rubric in My Grades through the Tools button in your course menu. Click the View Rubric link to see the evaluation criteria for the assignment. Upon receiving your assignment grade, you may view your grade breakdown and feedback in the rubric. CSU Grading Rubrics for Papers/Projects, Discussion Boards, and Assessments The Learning Resource area of the mycsu Student Portal provides the rubrics, and information on how to use them, for Discussion Boards, written response questions in Unit Assessments, and Research Papers/Projects. The course writing assignments will be graded based on the CSU Grading Rubric for all types of writing assignments, unless otherwise specified within assignment instructions. In addition, all papers will be submitted for electronic evaluation to rule out plagiarism. Course projects will contain project specific grading criteria defined in the project directions. To view the rubrics, click the Academic Policies link on the Course Menu, or access it through the CSU Grading Rubric link found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 3

4 Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or ed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Discussion Board = 5% Unit III Assignment = 15% Unit IV Annotated Bibliography = 10% Unit V Assignment = 25% Concept Paper = 45% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 4

5 DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I Review: Read: Discuss: Units I-VIII: Concept Paper Unit Study Guide Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA None Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time) Unit II Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: None Unit III Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: Submit: None Assignment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time) DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 5

6 DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper Course Schedule Unit IV Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: None Submit: Annotated Bibliography by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time) Unit V Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: None Submit: Assignment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time) Unit VI Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: None DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 6

7 DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper Course Schedule Unit VII Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: None Unit VIII Review: Textbooks and course materials used in courses DBA 7240, DBA 7310, and DBA Read: None Submit: Concept Paper by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time) DBA 9306A, Dissertation Concept Paper 7