The Early Research Project (ERP) is a semi-independent research project led by the doctoral student with recommended completion in the second year. The College of Education requires the ERP to be completed no later than the end of the third year of a student’s program. Under the guidance of their advisor, doctoral students develop research questions, write a literature review, design a study, collect and analyze data, and write up the results. The following advising for the ERP options are available to the student: (a) one permanent advisor who oversees the research project; (b) co-advisors who oversee the research project; or (c) a research advisor different from the permanent advisor, who oversees the research project. In the case where a research advisor oversees the research project, the permanent advisor or co-advisors should serve as committee members. Special Education doctoral students may take no more than 8 credit hours (SPED 591) for the Early Research Requirement. Requirements for the ERP are listed here: https://education.illinois.edu/student-resources/graduate/coe-graduate-handbook/phd.
ER Proposal Meeting
The purpose of the ERP proposal meeting is to provide the student with an opportunity to discuss the aims, purpose, research questions, and methods of their project. The student will be asked clarifying questions and receive feedback from committee members to enhance the rigor of their study. After presenting the proposal, the committee will deliberate. Following the deliberation, the student and the committee members come to an agreement regarding project recommendations and support needed. Two weeks prior to the proposal meeting, the student should send to committee members a written proposal consisting of the rationale for the study (i.e., Chapter 1), a literature review (i.e., Chapter 2), and the method section (i.e., Chapter 3). The department expects that all work be original and presented according to the current guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA). Implementation of the study should not begin until the student has received IRB approval and passed the ERP proposal meeting. The advisor assists in scheduling a room for the proposal meeting and helps the student prepare for the proposal meeting.
ER Defense Meeting
The purpose of the ERP defense meeting is to provide the student with an opportunity to describe the study they completed. The student will describe recruitment of participants, research methods, data collection, analysis, results and their conclusions. After the presentation, faculty members will ask questions and provide students an opportunity to discuss their rationale. Following the discussion, the committee will deliberate and may accept the written report as satisfying the early research requirement, or the committee may recommend that the work be revised or that a new study be pursued for the early research requirement.
Two weeks prior to the defense meeting, the student should send the committee members a written report. The options for the report are outlined below.
Monograph Format. This format mimics a dissertation and includes five chapters: Introduction; Literature Review; Method; Results; and Discussion.
Manuscript Format. This paper should be written to be suitable for publication, and includeintroduction, methods, results/findings, discussion and be approximately 40 pages long.
The student and their advisor(s) will make the ERP defense meeting arrangements. The advisor is responsible for completing the COE PhD Early Research Requirement form. This form should be submitted by the advisor to the GraduateStudent Services Office.
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