NURSING GRADUATE PROGRAM PhD COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION 2012-2013 Revised October 2012
Table of Contents 1. PURPOSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION... 3 2. TIMING OF THE EXAMINATION... 3 3. ROLE OF THE BOARD OF COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION CHAIRS... 3 4. ROLE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION CHAIR... 4 5. ROLE OF THE SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE... 5 6. STUDENT S ROLE... 5 7. SELECTION OF TOPICS... 6 8. PREPARATION OF OUTLINES... 7 9. THE WRITTEN PAPERS... 7 10. THE ORAL EXAMINATION... 8 11. COMPOSITION OF THE EXAMINATION COMMITTEE... 10 12. ROLE OF THE EXAMINERS... 10 13. STUDENT RESOURCES FOR WRITING... 11 14. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY... 11 15. Appendix A... 12 16. APPENDIX B... 13 17. Appendix C... 14 18. Appendix D... 16 19. Appendix E... 18 2
1. PURPOSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION It is a university regulation that students must pass the comprehensive examination as part of the requirements for a doctoral degree. Normally after the required courses are completed and normally before beginning data collection for the thesis, students in the nursing doctoral program will complete the comprehensive examination process. The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to allow the student to demonstrate, in writing and orally, their ability to integrate ideas that reflect current knowledge. The PhD comprehensive examination is intended to focus on a student s ability to integrate the factual knowledge at both a general and abstract level and to demonstrate their preparedness to undertake thesis research. The student will be expected to provide reasoned arguments to support their interpretation of the areas under study and to demonstrate their ability to use the information they have acquired. The comprehensives examination process should result in two publishable papers.. 2. TIMING OF THE EXAMINATION Normally full time students are expected to complete the comprehensive examination between the 12 th and 18 th month and part time students 24 th to 36 th month following the start of their doctoral studies. Usually, students complete the required courses before beginning the comprehensive examination process. Failure to successfully complete the comprehensive examination within 24 months will require withdrawal from the program. The student must have had at least one official supervisory committee meeting and an educational plan submitted to the Office of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences) before beginning the comprehensive process. 3. ROLE OF THE BOARD OF COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION CHAIRS The Board of Comprehensives Chairs consists of at least four Nursing Graduate Faculty members. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences) and the Nursing Graduate Assistant Dean are ex officio members of this Board. The members of the Board serve, largely on a rotational basis, as Comprehensives Chairs. The Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Policy and Curriculum Council approve committee members through nominations received by Faculty and held for staggered three-year terms. The Chair of the Board rotates within the Committee. When the student is ready to begin the comprehensive examination process, the Board of Comprehensive Examiners will meet to assign a Chair for the student s comprehensive examination committee. When the student submits the 2 outlines, the Board will meet to review the outlines, the student s CV and the brief description of the student s Master s thesis and proposed PhD thesis. If, after review of the outlines, the Board does not feel it has sufficient information to make a decision or if the outlines are unsatisfactory, the Chair will provide feedback to the student and the Supervisor. The student then works with the supervisory committee to revise the outline(s) and resubmit to the Board of Comprehensive Examiners before the final decision is made. Once two outlines are accepted, the Board will select potential examiners for each exam. 3
4. ROLE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION CHAIR The Comprehensive Examination Chair meets with the student and the student s Supervisor to review the process and address any questions from the student and Supervisor. The Chair may be consulted about the suitability of the topics as they develop, but any substantive guidance in the development of the outlines must come from the supervisory committee. Once the Board of Comprehensives Examination Chairs approves the outlines, the Exam Chair recruits three Examiners from the list provide. The dates are then set for the initial meeting, when the papers are due, the examiner s written evaluation of the examination papers to the Chair, as well as the date and time for the oral examination. These dates must be organized as a unit so that the Examiners, barring unforeseen circumstances, will be available in person for all dates. The Chair will then provide these dates to the Nursing Graduate Program Officer (HSC 3H48). A letter will be prepared by the Nursing Graduate Officer confirming: (a) acceptance of the two chosen topics; (b) the names of the Examiners; (c) the date the written papers are due; (d) the date the Examiners written reviews will be available; and (e) the date of the oral examination. The Nursing Graduate Officer will give this letter to the student on the day of the information meeting between the Examiners, the Comprehensive Examination Chair and the student. The purpose of the information meeting is to discuss the two outlines and clarify any issues concerning them. Any changes to the outlines that are recommended by the Examiners should be discussed at this meeting. Minutes of the meeting stipulating any changes to the outlines will be prepared by the Comprehensive Examination Chair and sent to the student, the Examiners and the supervisor. The Chair communicates to the Examiners their roles, including application of evaluation criteria, adherence to timelines, and availability for examination components. When the Examiners have submitted their written evaluation of the examination papers, it is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that copies of these written evaluations are provided to the student and to all Examiners. The Chair will meet with the student to review the written reviews of the papers and their pass/fail status. In the event of a failure, the Chair should meet with the student and the student s Supervisor should be present at this meeting. In this event, rather than share the individual examiner s evaluations, the Chair will prepare a summary of the Examiners feedback and review this with the student. This approach is preferred to preserve the identity of those who assessed the paper(s) as a failure. An important function of the Chair of the student's examination committee is to ensure that rules governing the conduct of the oral examination are observed and that the credibility of the examination is sustained. Credibility will largely depend on maintaining comparable oral examination standards from one instance to another. To achieve this, the Chair should make sure that the oral examination takes place in a constructive atmosphere and, before the oral examination, advise the Examiners that their questions must be both pertinent (i.e. fall within the boundaries of the topic) and sufficiently probing. The Chair does not question the candidate. However, she/he may wish to rephrase questions/answers by way of clarification and to bring a discussion to a logical, lucid conclusion. The Chair should take notes regarding the student's performance. 4
The Chair will summarize the deliberations of the committee during the oral examination and convey this information orally to the candidate at the conclusion of the examination. Within 1 week following the oral examination, the Chair will make available to the student, in writing, a summary of the Examiners evaluations of the oral examination with copies to the Supervisor, the Examiners, the Nursing Graduate Program Assistant Dean, and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences). The Chair will also write a letter of thanks including feedback to each of the Examiners copied to their Department Chair, the Chair of the Board of Comprehensives Chairs, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences), and the Nursing Graduate Program Assistant Dean. 5. ROLE OF THE SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE The Supervisor must meet with the student, once they have received their letter from Nursing Graduate Program Officer to determine the time-line for completion of the comprehensives process. The student should then meet with the supervisory committee to identify appropriate topics. Once likely topics have been selected, the student and Supervisor meet with the Comprehensive Examination Chair to review the process of the examination and to confirm the suitability of the chosen topic areas. The student then develops the outlines for the written paper, with the guidance of the supervisory committee. Preparation of the papers begins once the 2 outlines and the Examiners have been selected by the Board of Comprehensive Examiners, and the outlines confirmed at the meeting between the Comprehensive Examination Chair, the Examiners, and the student. The student may consult with the supervisory committee during preparation of the papers, regarding resources and points of clarification, but reading drafts of papers or any other direct comments on the papers- in- progress should not occur. As outlined elsewhere, one member of the supervisory committee (not the Supervisor) may be selected to be an Examiner. In such a case, where a member of the supervisory committee is also an Examiner, the role of Examiner supersedes that of supervisory committee member, which means a student cannot consult with that member of their supervisory committee during the preparation of papers. 6. STUDENT S ROLE The student should meet with the supervisory committee to determine the planned time-line for the comprehensives process and begin discussion of possible comprehensive examination topics. The student should complete the form stating the intended time for beginning the comprehensive examination process (see sample Appendix A) and return it to the Office of the Nursing Graduate Program (3H48) NOTE: The topics may be directly related to the student s thesis topic and must be at least complementary to the thesis. They must have different foci, with one focused on theoretical perspectives in the student s area of practice and specialization and the other on issues related to the conduct of research Arrange a joint meeting with the assigned Comprehensive Examination Chair and the Supervisor to clarify the process and to discuss the possible comprehensive examination topics. Two weeks before the scheduled monthly Comprehensive Board Meeting, the student must submit a copy of the following to the Comprehensive Examination Chair and to the Nursing Graduate Program Officer 3H48: 5
a) Two completed outlines for written papers with name, title page and topic clearly identified. The header should include the student s last name and the topic of paper. b) One copy of the Topic and Examiner form (Appendix B) Please include the names and contact information of at least two different suggested Examiners for each topic. c) One copy of the Student s CV d) A brief description of the Master s thesis, and e) A short summary (one page or less) describing the PhD thesis topic. NOTE: topic outlines will not be forwarded to the Board of Comprehensive Chairs without the proper supervisory committee signatures (electronic and faxed signatures are acceptable). Students will normally have six weeks to prepare both written papers. Students may add one week to the 6 week period of preparation if this period includes the December Christmas Break. In special circumstances, students may request up to 10 weeks to prepare the written papers. This is usually reserved for students who are unable to get release time from work time. A letter from the employer that they could not receive release time should be obtained and submitted with the request to the Nursing Graduate Program. The thesis Supervisor, supervisory committee and Assistant Dean of Nursing Graduate Studies must support the request. The request is made in writing to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences) no later than the first joint meeting between the Chair, student and Supervisor. 7. SELECTION OF TOPICS A critical factor in making the comprehensive examination useful to the student will be the choice of the two topics on which the student will be formally examined. The student consults early in the process with the Comprehensive Examination Chair, with the Supervisor present, to clarify any perceived ambiguities in the process and thereby avoid unnecessary work in topic selection. The student then meets with the supervisory committee to select topics which will be both interesting and valuable to the student and which merit independent study. The student will select, in collaboration with the supervisory committee and the Comprehensive Examination Chair, one topic from each of the following two groups of topics. A. PRACTICE AND SPECIALIZATION-RELATED ISSUES Topics may be chosen that explore the theoretical and practical issues related to the student s area of practice and specialization. The student may choose to focus at the client, family or organizational level. Examples of Past Topics Impact of Social Systems on Women s Health What are the Basic Biological (pathological) Mechanisms of Stroke? Understanding Those Who Seek Frequent Rehospitalizations Conceptual Models of Frailty Amongst Older Adults: Who are the Frail Elderly? Case Management and Primary Nursing: Are They Delivery Systems That Promote Continuity of Care and Linkage Between Health Care Sectors? Mental Health Care Reform for Individuals who Experience Depression Migration and Women s Mental Health in Canada 6
The Association Between Caregivers Attitudes, Beliefs and the Use of Formal Community-Based Support Services for Dementia Care: Policy Implications What is the Role of Staff Development in Long Term Care Facilities? A Concept Analysis of Oral Hygiene Care Migration: A Concept Analysis form at Nursing Perspective B. RESEARCH METHODS-RELATED ISSUES Topics should be chosen that explore issues related to research methods. They may be issues related to research ethics, data collection, data analysis or any other relevant methods-related area. Example of Past Topics Definitions and Measurement of Sexual Abuse Development and Validation of Outcome Measurement Tools for Mental Health Patients in the Community What Methodological Strategies Should be Used to Decrease Measurement Error in Responses to Sensitive Questions? Nursing Workload Management Systems: Current Challenges What Factors Influence the Transfer and Uptake of Systematic Reviews by Health Policy Makers? Measurement of Health Related Quality of Life Effective Strategies for Asking Children Sensitive Research Questions A Critical Analysis of Arguments for and Against Triangulation Case Studies 8. PREPARATION OF OUTLINES Two outlines must be prepared one for each paper.. The outlines must include: (a) a brief rationale for selection ofthe topic and the overall purpose of the paper (1 pge); and (b) a detailed summary (2 pages) of the key points to be covered in the paper. The outlines should be no more than three pages in length (a double-spaced introduction and a single-spaced point form section) and be in sufficient detail that the supervisory committee, the Comprehensive Examination Chair and the Board of Comprehensive Examination Chairs can identify clearly what the student intends to do in the paper. A bibliography of key readings should be attached for each outline; it is not intended to be exhaustive but rather should indicate the feasibility of the topic. There is a maximum of 5 pages for the Bibliography/Reference List.. Appendix C, Criteria for Evaluating Comprehensive Examination Outlines will be used by the Board to assess the topics. 9. THE WRITTEN PAPERS The student may consult with the supervisory committee during preparation of the papers. Students are free to consult their Supervisor and members of their supervisory committee (as long as they are not Examiners) as well as anyone else who is likely to be of assistance to them, regarding resources and points of clarification, but reading drafts of papers or any other direct comments on the papers- in- progress should not occur. Students may not consult the three Examiners at any time during the process. However, if students wish to request clarification from the Examiners on an issue (s) they are to address in their paper(s) [or the rewrite of their paper(s)], they can do so through the Comprehensive Examination Chair during the first week of the writing period ONLY. Once the 7
information meeting has taken place, the student officially begins the preparation of the comprehensive examination papers The papers must be written as if for publication, and must examine the origins of the topics, the present status of research in the areas and relevant implications. They should be a minimum of 15 pages and a maximum of 20 pages in length (excluding references and appendices which can be up to a maximum of 15 additional pages) for the purposes of the comprehensive examination. To be satisfactory, the papers must address the requirements of the outline and meet the criteria in the Criteria for Evaluating Comprehensive Examination Outlines. The use of appendices should be discussed with the Examiners at the initial meeting and any decisions about them should be noted in the minutes of the meeting. Appendices should be used selectively, and only for the purpose of supporting key concepts in the paper. The papers must also follow the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for referencing and format. Students must ensure that the two written comprehensive papers are submitted to the Examiners and the Comprehensive Examination Chair by no later than 4:00 pm on the due date. Preparation and distribution of a paper copy of the examination papers to each member of the examination committee is the responsibility of the student. A copy of the approved outline for the paper should be included with each paper. Alternative arrangements for delivery of the final papers, such as electronic submissions, can be negotiated at the initial meeting with the Examiners. A note must be added to the minutes of the meeting regarding any alternative arrangements for delivery of the papers. Failure to meet the stated specifications or the designated submission date is unacceptable and will be considered as an unsuccessful first attempt. The 2 papers will be evaluated independently by all 3 Examiners. There must be unanimous agreement of a Pass on each paper, for the student to receive a Pass on the examination. There must also be unanimous agreement among Examiners for a student to receive a Pass with Distinction on the written portion of the examination. If a student fails one or both papers, the Comprehensive Examination Chair will meet with the student, generally with the Supervisor present, to give verbal feedback to the student and to plan for rewriting the paper(s). Rather than share the individual Examiners evaluations, the Chair will prepare a summary of the Examiners feedback and review this with the student. This approach is preferred to preserve the identity of those who failed the paper. Copies are given to the Chair of the Board of Comprehensive Examination Chairs, the Nursing Graduate Program Assistant Dean and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences). If the student has passed one paper, the feedback and the Examiners questions on that paper are withheld until the student successfully rewrites the failing paper. The student will be allowed to write the failing paper(s) a second time. The student is normally given 2 weeks to submit the rewrite of the paper. A student who fails both papers will be given a total of four weeks to rewrite (two weeks for each paper). The student may not consult with the Examiners during this time. In the case of a second failure, the student will be required to withdraw from the Graduate Program. 10. THE ORAL EXAMINATION After receiving the written evaluation and specific questions from the Examiners and achieving a pass on the written papers, the student will proceed to the oral examination. The oral examination consists of 2 concise 8
presentations (not read from notes), one for each paper. Each presentation will last for 20 minutes, followed by questioning by individual Examiners. The entire examination is limited to 2 hours. The purpose of the presentations is to test the student's understanding of and ability to respond to the questions raised in feedback from the Examiners on the written papers. The student is expected to communicate in an articulate manner during the presentations. Each presentation is followed by a period of questioning by the Examiners who may ask for further clarification of the material presented in the oral presentations and/or explore the student s understanding of the key issues presented in the written papers as well as more broad but related issues. NOTE: Students should plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the oral examination. The comprehensive examination consists of a written and an oral component. The student is expected to prepare two papers, each a critical evaluation of knowledge in the examination topic. The student should present a critical analysis of the literature on the topic in each area and propose alternate explanations or further research to clarify the important issues. In short, the papers will demonstrate the student's ability to acquire, synthesize, evaluate and apply information and present the student s own interpretation of the status of each area. Papers prepared for the comprehensive examination cannot be used as part of the student s thesis, should they choose to do a sandwich thesis. The oral examination will consist of the following steps: a) A notice will be placed on the door of the examination room noting that an examination is in progress and that no one is allowed to enter the room once the examination has begun. b) Before commencing the oral examination, the Comprehensive Examination Chair will brief the Examiners in closed session on the examination process and evaluations. c) The Chair then brings the candidate and observers (including the Supervisor if present) into the room, introduces the candidate and the examination committee. The Chair reviews the guidelines about observers and consequences: they may not participate in the oral examination; they are present only as observers. Should any observer ask a question or make a comment during the examination, they will be asked to leave the room. d) The Chair will ask the candidate to present each topic. This should last no more than 20 minutes for each topic. Visual aids may be used and notes consulted but not read out. e) Individual Examiners question the student in sequence at the end of each 20-minute presentation. Normally not more than one hour in total should be spent on each topic. Since the prime purpose of the examination is to assess the student s ability to synthesize and critically evaluate knowledge, the questions should reflect this purpose. f) One of the Chair's roles is to ensure that the examination takes place in a constructive atmosphere. The Chair does not question the candidate but may rephrase questions asked by the Examiners. g) The candidate, Supervisor and observers (if present) withdraw from the examination room after each topic has been examined so that the examiners can independently rate the presentation. h) i) After both topics have been examined, the Chair secures the written votes of the Examiners on the form provided; the Chair is without vote. (Criteria for Evaluation of the Oral Presentation are in Appendix E). To pass, no negative vote is permitted; abstentions are not allowed. In the case of negative vote(s), the Committee must decide whether the student will be given a second opportunity to take the examination 9
which must occur within two weeks of the failure.. In order to receive a Pass with Distinction, there must be unanimous agreement among all three Examiners. j) The candidate is invited back into the room, at which time the Chair summarizes and orally Within one week after the oral examination, the Chair prepares a written summary of the evaluation of the oral examination and sends it to the candidate and his/her Supervisor, the Examiners, the Assistant Dean of the Graduate Nursing Program, and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences). 11. COMPOSITION OF THE EXAMINATION COMMITTEE The student's examination committee shall consist of three Examiners approved by the Board of Comprehensive Examination Chairs, each of whom has a vote, and the Comprehensive Examination Chair, who has no vote. At least two of the Examiners must be from the McMaster Graduate Faculty or must be approved by the Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Policy and Curriculum Council to be Examiners for comprehensive examinations. One member of the student's supervisory committee may be part of the examination committee. The student's Supervisor will not be a member of the examination committee. At least one Examiner must be from the Nursing Graduate faculty. 12. ROLE OF THE EXAMINERS The student attends a meeting with the three Examiners and the Comprehensive Examination Chair to discuss the 2 outlines and clarify any issues concerning them. Any changes to the outlines that are agreed upon by the Examiners should be confirmed at this meeting. Meeting minutes stipulating any outline changes will be prepared by the Comprehensive Examination Chair and sent to the student, the Examiners and the Supervisor. The Examiners will have no further contact with the student until the time of the oral examination. Each Examiner will review the 2 written papers independently and make a judgment. They will provide the Chair of the Comprehensive Examination Committee with a written evaluation of each paper 1 week following submission of the papers. Examiners are to include in their feedback, three questions that the student must address in the oral examination. Each paper will be evaluated using the criteria stated in Appendix D. To each paper, the Examiners will assign a Pass with Distinction/ Pass/ or Fail. One week following successful completion of the written portion of the comprehensive examination process, the student proceeds to the oral component of the process. The Examiner must be prepared to question the student on both topics at the oral examination, following the guidelines outlined for the oral examination The Examiners have one week to provide written feedback to the Comprehensive Examination Chair. The feedback is based on the criteria in Appendix D. Feedback is to be submitted electronically no later than 12 noon on the specified date. The student will meet with the Comprehensive Examination Chair one week after submitting the papers, to receive and discuss the written reviews of the Examiners. At this time the oral component of the comprehensive examination process is also discussed and clarified. After the examination of each topic the Examiners will complete the Nursing Graduate Program Oral Comprehensive Examination Evaluation form (Appendix E). In order for the student to pass the oral exam, the Examiners must unanimously agree. In the event of a failure of the oral examination, an oral re-examination 10
should normally take place within 2 weeks and whenever possible, with the same Examiners. If it is not possible to schedule a re-examination with the same Examiners within the two-week period, the Comprehensive Examination Chair, after hearing the wishes of the student and consulting with the Board of Comprehensive Examination Chairs, will determine if the 2-week period will be extended to allow for use of the same Examiners, or will arrange for (a) substitute Examiner(s). 13. STUDENT RESOURCES FOR WRITING If English is as a second language, there are resources available to support the student from the Student Success Center. http://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/academic-skills/esl.html For all students who have difficulty with academic writing they are encouraged to access the support available to them on campus. http://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/academic-skills/writing-support-services.html An Editor can be used for correcting grammatical changes and APA formatting, of the paper. but not to change the content 14. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Two instances of academic dishonesty are 1) plagiarism and 2) students submitting the work of others without attribution. (Refer to the Appendix describing plagiarism in the University's Statement on Academic Integrity and refer to the School of Graduate Studies Calendar, section 6.1). Any material taken word for word from the published work of others must be presented in quotation marks with an appropriate reference. Moreover, it is not permissible to take the essential structure and ideas of a review article and merely paraphrase it. The student's comprehensive examination committee expects that the student will present a personal analysis of the original literature in the student's own words. If academic dishonesty is suspected on the written portion of the examination, the Comprehensive Examination Chair will be notified and the matter will be pursued through the Academic Integrity Policy. The oral examination will be postponed until the dishonesty issue is resolved. 11
15. Appendix A TIMING OF NURSING COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION Student s Name: Date: MONTH STUDENT PLANS TO SUBMIT TOPICS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION Please note: There are no meetings or examinations scheduled for the month of August. Signature of Supervisor Signature of Student THIS FORM MUST BE RETURNED TO THE NURSING GRADUATE PROGRAM OFFICE 3H48 BY: (1 month from date of comp exam letter 1) 12
16. APPENDIX B Topics Selection Form Student Name/ ID#: Date: Practice and Specialization-Related Topic: 1. List a minimum of 2 suggested Examiners for this topic (include phone and email addresses): 1. 2. Research Methods-Related Topic: 1. List a minimum of two suggested Examiners for this topic (include phone and email addresses): 1. 2. Supervisor: 3rd member: 2nd member: 4th member: Student: *Please Note: topic outlines will not be forwarded to the Board of Comprehensive Chairs without the proper signatures (electronic and faxed signatures are acceptable). 13
17. Appendix C Criteria for Evaluating Nursing Comprehensive Examination Outlines 1. The outline clearly demonstrates how the topic is related primarily to practice or to research methods. Poor Satisfactory Excellent 2. The outline provides a rationale for the importance of the topic/concept to be studied and its relevance to nursing. Poor Satisfactory Excellent 3. A relevant framework is identified that will be used to assist in the analysis/critique of the topic (where relevant). Poor Satisfactory Excellent 4. The outline presents a unique/innovative/creative approach to the topic. (New knowledge is likely to emerge from the analysis. The topic is deemed publishable.) Poor Satisfactory Excellent 5. The outline presents a plan that ensures sufficient breadth of exploration of the topic. (search strategy) Poor Satisfactory Excellent 14
6. The outline provides convincing evidence that there is sufficient literature on the topic for an in-depth exploration and critical analysis of the topic. This evidence can be found within the outline and attached references/bibliography. Poor Satisfactory Excellent 7. The outline includes a plan for addressing implications for nursing practice and/or research that arise from the analysis/critique. Poor Satisfactory Excellent 8. The writing is clear and lows logically. Poor Satisfactory Excellent 9. The outline accurately follows the current APA Edition style requirements. (Including attention to grammar, spelling, etc.) Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Excellent Check One: Accept as is Accept with minor revisions Major revisions required Must resubmit 15
18. Appendix D Guidelines for Evaluation of Written Papers for Comprehensive Examination Student s NAME: Date: TOPIC TITLE: Examiner: The following guidelines should be used in evaluating the papers submitted. Please use the guidelines to evaluate and prepare written feedback on each paper. 1. The scope of the paper is clearly identified and is consistent with the approved outline. 2. Rationale for the importance and relevance of the topic is provided. 3. Critical analysis in the consideration of each issue is evident. 4. Reasoned persuasive arguments are presented to support interpretation of the issues under study. 5. Clear and logical connections are made between evidence and claims. Comments. 16
6. Content presented is relevant and includes current as well as older material that is seminal to the field of exploration. 7. Implications for application of information are evident. 8. The paper is well-written, with good sentence structure, grammar and spelling; in other words, the paper is very readable and follows current edition APA format. Summary comments of strengths and outstanding questions. (Note: Please provide a minimum of 3 questions that the student must address in the oral examination. Even though you may be an expert in one area, it is helpful if you include questions for both essays.) Please check one of the following: Pass with Distinction: Pass: Fail: 17
19. Appendix E ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION EVALUATION Student s Name: EXAMINATION DATE: TOPIC TITLE: Examiner: During the oral examination, the Student should demonstrate the ability to acquire, synthesize and critically evaluate nursing knowledge. For each statement below, indicate the number that corresponds to the ratings below and provide comments. Unsatisfactory Borderline Satisfactory Very Good Excellent 1. Responds to questions raised by the Examiner s review of the papers /5 2. Demonstrates an understanding of the fundamentals of the topic of the paper /5 3 Demonstrates critical analysis of each issue /5 4 Demonstrates the ability to present and defend an argument. /5 5. Overall Rating /5 Summary of strengths and limitations: Please check one of the following: Pass With Distinction: Pass: Fail: Student s Signature Examiner s Signature 18