At the NSU Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, we understand the importance of providing our students with the resources and support they need to succeed in their research endeavors. Here, you will find a comprehensive guide with information on a variety of topics, including:
54-credit Doctoral Program
In the 54-credit doctoral program, the student will need to pass FOUR ‘benchmarks’ in the applied dissertation process. Each benchmark is worth 3 credits as follows:
69-credit Doctoral Program
In the 69-credit doctoral program, the student will need to pass THREE ‘benchmarks’ in the applied dissertation process, credits awarded as follows:
Please note that the student will work directly with his/ her dissertation chair to progress in the benchmarks. There is no online course in Blackboard. The guides above provide an outline of what needs to be completed to pass the benchmark.
Proposal and Final Applied Dissertation (choose the dissertation template that corresponds to your dissertation methodology):
Please select one of the professional consultants (Richard, Lori, Gary, Jane, or Jose) when making your appointment; if you are unable to make an appointment, please contact the director of Dissertation Support Services, Jennifer Reeves, Ph.D. at jennreev@nova.edu or 850-727-8994. Repeat appointments are encouraged.
Format Guide for the Applied Dissertation (May 2020, APA 7th ed.)
Guía de Formato Para la Disertación Aplicada (Aug 2021)
FCE Applied Dissertation Format Review Presentation
Policy of the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Avoiding Plagiarism in the Dissertation Process | Jennifer Reeves, Ph.D., David Ross, Ed.D., Mark Seldine, Ed.D., and David Weintraub, Ed.D. | RECORDING: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/4592437272763538433
o This workshop overviews what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, how to submit your Proposal/Final AD to Turnitin, and how to interpret an originality report.
Procedimientos de Verificación de Plagio
How to Recognize Plagiarism, a tutorial from the School of Education at Indiana University, Bloomington. This tutorial includes a test. We recommend that you take the test after completing all of the tutorial sections. A certificate may be printed after scoring 100% on the test.
Plagiarism: Avoid Academic Theft for Research Success (video)
Avoiding Plagiarism from the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It, by A. Michael Noll, professor emeritus at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California
Harvard Guide to Using Sources: Avoiding Plagiarism, a publication of the Harvard College Writing Program
Avoiding Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism, and Other Questionable Writing Practices: A Guide to Ethical Writing by Miguel Roig, PhD, of St. John's University (sponsored by the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
The Double Whammy: What Can Happen to a Plagiarist--a February 5, 2011, article ("Degree Revoked, Plagiarist Will Pay to Settle Lawsuit") from The Columbus Dispatch
Students who contract with an editor or typist must provide that person with the Format Guide for the Applied Dissertation. Editors and typists must communicate with the student, not with university personnel. The university does not assume responsibility for a student's contractual agreement with an editor or typist or for the quality of the editor's or typist's work.
The Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice cannot recommend a freelance editor, nor does it employ editors. If you require professional editing, speak first with your dissertation committee chair; ask if he or she is able to put you in touch with a former student who had success with an editor. Contact within your network of College of Education doctoral students may also yield specific recommendations.
Dissertation editors and typists may be found through a variety of other sources, including the Internet, phone directories, and college and university bulletin boards. Please be aware, however, that the skill levels of editors vary widely. If you do find it necessary to hire a nonreferred editor, ask beforehand if he or she has successfully worked on a College of Education doctoral dissertation. If the answer is "yes," request at least one reference so you can verify the editor’s qualifications with the College of Education graduate; if the answer is "no," it would be advisable to continue your search.
Once a decision is made, be sure that all aspects of the contractual agreement are clearly spelled out. For example, your edited manuscript may require substantial content changes during the final-review process. In such a case, your manuscript will need to be re-edited. Establish an understanding with your editor in regard to a procedure—and payment, if necessary—for additional work that may be required after the initial editing.
Editors and typists must not make changes that affect the content of your dissertation. You are responsible for ensuring that the applied dissertation is correct prior to its submission to the dissertation committee. Therefore, the manuscript should be edited before the committee recommends it for final approval.
Hiring an editor to prepare your manuscript does not preclude the usefulness of learning as much as possible about APA style and College of Education format requirements. Having a familiarity with style and format guidelines will help you to determine early in the process whether your editor is fulfilling his or her contractual obligations.
A professionally edited dissertation gives you an opportunity to learn proper style by comparing—line by line—your final manuscript to your pre-edited manuscript. The knowledge that you gain from this exercise will be a benefit to you throughout your professional career.
The NSU librarians are here to assist you! They can show you how to:
Assistance in Spanish is also available.
Meet in-person or online with a librarian:
Schedule a research appointmentThere are multiple ways to locate dissertations. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions for finding NSU and other dissertations and theses.
All students will automatically have their dissertations published in the NSU Major Applied Research Projects (MARPs) database; however, this database is only limited to those with a nova.edu email address. In order to have your dissertation available to the public, you will need to publish it.
Each year the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) recognizes the excellent work of our doctoral students and the dissertation chairs and Strategic Research Project (SRP) faculty who advise them. The Dr. Charles L. Faires Outstanding Doctoral Research Award is awarded to students who validated the principles taught in NSU’s doctoral program and have captured the essence and importance of being a scholar.
Dr. Charles L. Faires, who graduated from Kent State University with his Ph.D., brought a wealth of research expertise to the FCE&SCJ. His determination was to make sure that every student and colleague had the information to produce high-quality, rigorous research. He was more than a researcher and faculty member, Dr. Faires was a sincere professional with high morals and a friendly, unselfish disposition. He attended every Summer Institute and was always willing to give assistance to those who needed it. Dr. Charles L. Faires was one of those rare individuals who wanted to make the world a better place through sound research. We, therefore, honor his legacy through the outstanding doctoral research award.
To be eligible for the Dr. Charles L. Faires Outstanding Doctoral Research Award, a student’s dissertation chair or SRP faculty member must submit a nomination. A blind-review committee of FCE&SCJ full-time faculty carefully consider all nominations and make their recommendations to the Dean based on the eligibility criteria (Dissertation criteria and SRP criteria). Award winners are announced by June 1st of each year.
It is our hope that sharing these criteria will improve the quality of FCE&SCJ’s applied dissertations and SRPs, and make the award process more competitive. Should you have any questions about the Dr. Charles L. Faires Outstanding Doctoral Research Award please email daward@nova.edu.