APPLICATION FOR THE USE OF HUMAN RESEARCH PARTICIPANTSIRB AP.docx

APPLICATION FOR THE USE OF HUMAN RESEARCH
PARTICIPANTS
IRB APPLICATION #: (To be assigned by the IRB)
_____________________________________________________
_________________________
I. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1. Complete each section of this document by using your tab
key to move your cursor to each gray form field and providing
the requested information.
2. If you have questions, hover over the blue (?), or refer to the
IRB Application Instructions for additional clarification.
3. Review the IRB Application Checklist.
4. Email the completed application, with the following
supporting documents (as separate word documents) to
[email protected]:
a. Consent Forms, Permission Letters, Recruitment Materials
b. Surveys, Questionnaires, Interview Questions, Focus Group
Questions
5. If you plan to use a specific Liberty University department or
population for your study, you will need to obtain permission
from the appropriate department chair/dean/coach/etc. Submit
documentation of permission (email or letter) to the IRB along
with this application and check the indicated box below
verifying that you have done so.
6. Submit one signed copy of the signature page (available on
the IRB website or electronically by request) to any of the
following:
a. Email: As a scanned document to [email protected]
b. Fax: 434-522-0506
c. Mail: IRB 1971 University Blvd. Lynchburg, VA 24515
d. In Person: Green Hall, Suite 2845

7. Once received, the IRB processes applications on a first-
come, first-served basis.
8. Preliminary review may take up to 3 weeks.
9. Most applications will require 3 sets of revisions.
10. The entire process may take between 1 and 2 months.
11. We cannot accept applications in formats other than
Microsoft Word. Please do not send us One Drive files, Pdfs,
Google Docs, or Html applications. Exception: The IRB’s
signature page, proprietary instruments (i.e., survey creator has
copyright), and documentation of permission may be submitted
as pdfs.
Note: Applications and supporting documents with the
following problems will be returned immediately for revisions:
1. Grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors
2. Lack of professionalism
3. Lack of consistency or clarity
4. Incomplete applications
**Failure to minimize these errors will cause delays in your
processing time**
_____________________________________________________
_________________________
II. BASIC PROTOCOL INFORMATION
1. STUDY/THESIS/DISSERTATION TITLE (?)
Title:
2. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR & PROTOCOL
INFORMATION (?)
Principal Investigator(person conducting the research):
Professional Title (Student, Professor, etc.):
School/Department (School of Education, LUCOM, etc.):
Phone:
LU Email:
Check all that apply:
|_| Faculty
|_| Online Graduate Student

|_| Staff
|_| Residential Undergraduate Student
|_| Residential Graduate Student
|_| Online Undergraduate Student
This research is for:
|_| Class Project
|_| Master’s Thesis
|_| Scholarly Project (DNP Program)
|_| Doctoral Dissertation
|_| Faculty Research
|_| Other:
If applicable, indicate whether you have defended and passed
your dissertation proposal:
|_| N/A
|_| No (Provide your defense date):
|_| Yes (Proceed to Associated Personnel Information)
3. ASSOCIATED PERSONNEL INFORMATION (?)
Faculty Chair/Mentor(s):
School/Department:
Phone:
LU/Other Email:
4. USE OF LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PARTICIPANTS (?)
Do you intend to use LU students, staff, or faculty as
participants OR LU student, staff, or faculty data in your study?
|_| No (Proceed to Funding Source)
|_| Yes (Complete the section below)
# of Participants/Data Sets:
Department/Source:
Class(es)/Year(s):
Department Chair:
Obtaining permission to utilize LU participants (check the
appropriate box below):
SINGLE DEPARTMENT/GROUP: If you are including faculty,
students, or staff from a single department or group, you must

obtain permission from the appropriate Dean, Department Chair,
or Coach and submit a signed letter or date/time stamped email
to the IRB indicating approval to use students from that
department or group. You may submit your application without
having obtained this permission; however, the IRB will not
approve your study until you provide proof of permission.
|_| I have obtained permission from the appropriate
Dean/Department Chair/Coach and attached the necessary
documentation to this application.
|_| I have sought permission and will submit documentation to
the IRB once I receive it from the appropriate Dean/Department
Chair/Coach.
MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS/GROUPS: If you are including
faculty, students, or staff from multiple departments or groups
(i.e., all sophomores or LU Online), the IRB will need to seek
administrative approval on your behalf.
|_| I am requesting that the IRB seek administrative approval on
my behalf.
5. FUNDING SOURCE (?)
Is your research funded?
|_| No (Proceed to Study Dates)
|_| Yes (Complete the section below)
Grant Name/Funding Source/Number:
Funding Period (Month & Year):
6. STUDY DATES (?)
When do you plan to perform your study? (Approximate dates
for collection/analysis):
Start(Month/Year): Finish(Month/Year):
7. COMPLETION OF REQUIRED CITI RESEARCH ETHICS
TRAINING(?)
List Course Name(s) (Social and Behavioral Researchers, etc.):
Date(s) of Completion:

III. OTHER STUDY MATERIALS AND CONSIDERATIONS
8. STUDY MATERIALS LIST (?)
Please indicate whether your proposed study will include any of
the following:
Recording/photography of participants (voice, video, or
images)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Participant compensation (gift cards, meals, extra credit, etc.)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Advertising for participants (flyers, TV/Radio advertisements)?
|_| Yes |_| No
More than minimal psychological stress?
|_| Yes |_| No
Confidential data collection (participant identities known but
not revealed)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Anonymous data collection (participant identities not known)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Archival data collection (data previously collected for another
purpose)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Extra costs to the participants (tests, hospitalization, etc.)?
|_| Yes |_| No
The inclusion of pregnant women (for medical studies)?
|_| Yes |_| No
More than minimal risk?*
|_| Yes |_| No
Alcohol consumption?
|_| Yes |_| No
Protected Health Information (from health
practitioners/institutions)?
|_| Yes |_| No
VO2 Max Exercise?
|_| Yes |_| No
Pilot study procedures (which will be published/included in data

analysis)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Use of blood?
|_| Yes |_| No
Total amount of blood:
Blood draws over time period (days):
The use of rDNA or biohazardous material?
|_| Yes |_| No
The use of human tissue or cell lines?
|_| Yes |_| No
Fluids that could mask the presence of blood (including
urine/feces)?
|_| Yes |_| No
Use of radiation or radioisotopes?
|_| Yes |_| No
*Note: Minimal risk is defined as “the probability and
magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are
not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily
encountered in everyday life or during the performance of
routine physical or physiological examinations or tests. [45 CFR
46.102(i)]. If you are unsure if your study qualifies as minimal
risk, contact the IRB.
9. INVESTIGATIONAL METHODS (?)
Please indicate whether your proposed study will include any of
the following:
The use of an investigational new drug (IND) or an approved
drug for an unapproved Use?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Provide the drug name, IND number, and company):
The use of an investigational medical device or an approved
medical device for an unapproved Use?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Provide the device name, IDE number, and company):

IV. PURPOSE
10. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH (?)
Write an original, brief, non-technical description of the
purpose of your research. Include in your description your
research hypothesis/question, a narrative that explains the major
constructs of your study, and how the data will advance your
research hypothesis or question. This section should be easy to
read for someone not familiar with your academic discipline:
V. PARTICIPANT INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA
11. STUDY POPULATION (?)
Provide the inclusion criteria for the participant population(e.g.,
gender, age range, ethnic background, health status, occupation,
employer, etc.):
Provide a rationale for selecting the above population (i.e., Why
will this specific population enable you to answer your research
question?):
Will your participant population be divided into different
groups (i.e., experimental and control groups)?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Describe the groups and explain how groups will be
selected/assigned.):
Are you related to any of your participants?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Explain):
Indicate who will be excluded from your study population (e.g.,
persons under 18 years of age):
If applicable, provide rationale for involving any special
populations (e.g., children, ethnic groups, individuals with
impaired decision-making ability or low socio-economic status,
or prisoners):
Provide the maximum number of participants you plan to enroll
for each participant population and justify the sample size(You
will not be approved to enroll a number greater than the number
listed. If at a later time it becomes apparent that you need to

increase your sample size, submit a Change in Protocol Form
and wait for approval to proceed.):
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION ONLY IF YOU ARE
CONDUCTING A PROTOCOL WITH NIH, FEDERAL, OR
STATE FUNDING:
Researchers sometimes believe their particular project is not
appropriate for certain types of participants. These may include,
for example, women, minorities, and children. If you believe
your project should not include one or more of these groups,
please provide your justification for their exclusion. Your
justification will be reviewed according to the applicable NIH,
federal, or state guidelines:
12. TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS (?)
Who will be the focus of your study? (Check all that apply)
|_| Normal Participants (Age 18-65)
|_| Pregnant Women
|_| Minors (Under Age 18)
|_| Fetuses
|_| Over Age 65
|_| Cognitively Disabled
|_| College/University Students
|_| Physically Disabled
|_| Active-Duty Military Personnel
|_| Participants Incapable of Giving Consent
|_| Discharged/Retired Military Personnel
|_| Prisoners or Institutional Individuals
|_| Inpatients
|_| Specific Ethnic/Racial Group(s)
|_| Outpatients
|_| Other potentially elevated risk populations
|_| Patient Controls
|_| Participant(s) related to the researcher
Note: Only check the boxes if the participants will be the focus
(for example, ONLY military or ONLY students). If they just
happen to be a part of the broad group you are studying, you

only need to check “Normal Participants.” Some studies may
require that you check multiple boxes (e.g., Korean males, aged
65+).
VI. RECRUITMENT OF PARTICIPANTS
13. CONTACTING PARTICIPANTS (?)
Describe in detail how you will contact participants regarding
this study (include the method(s) used—email, phone call,
social media, snowball sampling, etc.):
14. SUBMISSION OF RECRUITMENT MATERIALS (?)
Submit a copy of all recruitment letters, scripts, emails, flyers,
advertisements, or social media posts you plan to use to recruit
participants for your study as separate Word documents with
your application. Recruitment templates are available on the
IRB website.
Check the appropriate box:
|_| All of the necessary recruitment materials will be submitted
with my application.
|_| My study strictly uses archival data, so recruitment materials
are not applicable.
If you plan to provide documents in a language other than
English:
|_| I will submit a translated copy of my recruitment materials
along with the English version(s).
15. LOCATION OF RECRUITMENT (?)
Describe the location, setting, and timing of recruitment:
16. SCREENING PROCEDURES(?)
Describe any procedures you will use to ensure that your
participants meet your study criteria(e.g., a screening survey or
verbal confirmation to verify that participants are 18 or older):
17. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (?)
Conflicts of interest are “situations in which financial or other

personal considerations may compromise, or have the
appearance of compromising, an investigator’s judgement in
conducting or reporting research” AAMC, 1990.
Do you have a position of academic or professional authority
over the participants(e.g., You are the participants’ teacher,
principal, supervisor, or district/school administrator.)?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Explain what safeguards are in place to reduce the
likelihood of compromising the integrity of the research, e.g.,
addressing the conflicts in the consent process and/or
emphasizing the pre-existing relationship will not be impacted
by participation in the research.):
Do you have any financial or personal conflicts of interest to
disclose (e.g., Do you or an immediate family member receive
income or other payments, own investments in, or have a
relationship with a non-profit organization that could benefit
from this research?)?
|_| No (Proceed to Procedures)
|_| Yes (State the funding source/financial conflict and then
explain what safeguards are in place to reduce the likelihood of
compromising the integrity of the research.):
VII. RESEARCH PROCEDURES
18. PROCEDURES (?)
Write an original, non-technical, step-by-step description of
what your participants will be asked to do during your study and
data collection process. If you have multiple participant groups,
(e.g., parents, teachers, and students) or control and
experimental groups, please specify which group you are asking
to complete which task(s). You do not need to list
signing/reading consent as a step.
Step/Task/Procedure
Time to Complete Procedure
(Approx.)
Participant Group(s)
(All, Group A, Group B, Control Group, Experimental Group,

etc.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Note: For complex study designs, additional diagrams,
timelines, or figures may be submitted separately.
19. SUBMISSION OF DATA COLLECTION
INSTRUMENTS/MATERIALS (?)
Submit a copy of all instruments, surveys, interviews questions,
outlines, observation checklists, prompts, etc. thatyou plan to
use to collect data for your study as separate Word documents
with your application. Pdfs are ONLY acceptable for
proprietary instruments.

|_| All of the necessary data collection instruments will be
submitted with my application.
|_| My study strictly uses archival data, so data collection
instruments are not applicable.
English:
|_| I will submit a translated copy of my study instrument(s)
20. STUDY LOCATION (?)
Please state the actual location(s)/site(s) in which the study will
be conducted. Be specific (include city, state, school/district,
clinic, etc.):
Note: Investigators must submit documentation of permission
from some research sites to the IRB prior to receiving approval.
If your study involves K-12 public schools, district-level
approval is acceptable as opposed to submitting separate
permission documentation from each school. If your study
involves colleges or universities, hospitals, or prisons, you may
also need to seek IRB approval from those institutions. You
may seek permission prior to submitting your IRB application;
however, do not begin recruiting participants. If you find that
you need a conditional approval letter from the IRB to obtain
permission, the IRB will provide one once you have completed
all requested revisions.
VIII. DATA ANALYSIS
21. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS/DATA SETS (?)
Estimate the number of participants to be enrolled or data sets
to be collected:
22. ANALYSIS METHODS (?)
Describe how the data will be analyzed:
Please describe what will be done with the data and the
resulting analysis (Include any plans for publication or
presentation.):

IX. PARENTAL/GUARDIAN CONSENT
23. PARENTAL/GUARDIAN CONSENT REQUIREMENTS (?)
Does your study require parental/guardian consent?(If your
participants are under 18, parental/guardian consent is required
in most cases.)
|_| No (Proceed to Child Assent)
|_| Yes (Answer the following question)
Does your study entail greater than minimal risk without the
potential for benefits to the participant?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Consent of both parents is required)
X. ASSENT FROM CHILDREN
24. CHILD ASSENT (?)
Is assent required for your study?(Assent is required unless the
child is not capable of assenting due to age, psychological state,
or sedation OR the research holds out the prospect of a direct
benefit that is only available within the context of the research.)
|_| No (Proceed to Consent Procedures)
|_| Yes
Note: If the parental consent process (full or part) is waived
(See XIII below) assent may be also. See the IRB’s informed
consent page for more information.
XI. PROCESS OF OBTAINING INFORMED CONSENT
25. CONSENT PROCEDURES (?)
Describe in detail how and when you will provide
consent/assent/parental consent information(e.g., as an
attachment to your recruitment email, as the first page
participants see after clicking on the survey link, etc.):
Unless your study qualifies for a waiver of signatures, describe
in detail how and when consent forms will be signed and
returned to you(e.g., participants will type their names and the
date on the consent form before completing the online survey,
participants will sign and return the consent forms when you

meet for their interview, etc.):
Note: A waiver of signatures is only applicable if you will not
be able to link participant responses to participants (i.e.,
anonymous surveys). See section XIV below.
XII. USE OF DECEPTION
26. DECEPTION (?)
Are there any aspects of the study kept secret from the
participants(e.g., the full purpose of the study, assignment or
use of experimental/control groups, etc.)?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Describe the deception involved and the debriefing
procedures.):
Is deception used in the study procedures?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Describe the deception involved and the debriefing
procedures.):
Note: Submit a post-experiment debriefing statement and
consent form offering participants the option of having their
data destroyed. A debriefing template is available on our
website.
XIII. WAIVER OF INFORMED CONSENT OR
MODIFICATION OF REQUIRED ELEMENTS IN THE
INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS
27. WAIVER OF INFORMED CONSENT ELEMENTS (?)
|_| N/A
Please indicate why you are requesting a waiver of consent (If
your reason does not appear as an option, please check N/A. If
your reason appears in the drop-down list, complete the below
questions in this section):
Does the research pose no more than minimal risk to
participants (i.e., no more risk than that of everyday activities)?
|_| No, the study is greater than minimal risk.
|_| Yes, the study is minimal risk.
Will the waiver have no adverse effects on participant rights

and welfare?
|_| No, the waiver will have adverse effects on participant rights
and welfare.
|_| Yes, the waiver will not adversely affect participant rights
and welfare.
Would the research be impracticable without the waiver?
|_| No, there are other ways of performing the research without
the waiver.
|_| Yes, not having a waiver would make the study unrealistic.
Explain:
Will participant debriefing occur (i.e., Will the true purpose
and/or deceptive procedures used in the study be reported to
participants at a later date?)?
|_| No, participants will not be debriefed.
|_| Yes, participants will be debriefed.
Note: A waiver or modification of some or all of the required
elements of informed consent is sometimes used in research
involving deception or archival data.
XIV. WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR PARTICIPANTS
TO SIGN THE INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT
28. WAIVER OF SIGNED CONSENT (?)
|_| N/A
Please indicate why you are requesting a waiver of signatures
(If your reason does not appear as an option, please check N/A.
If your reason appears in the drop-down list, complete the
below questions in this section):
Would a signed consent form be the only record linking the
participant to the research?
|_| No, there are other records/study questions linking the
participants to the study.
|_| Yes, only the signed form would link the participant to the
study.
Does a breach of confidentiality constitute the principal risk to
participants?
|_| No, there are other risks involved greater than a breach of

confidentiality.
|_| Yes, the main risk is a breach of confidentiality.
Does the research pose no more than minimal risk to
participants (i.e., no more risk than that of everyday activities)?
|_| No, the study is greater than minimal risk.
|_| Yes, the study is minimal risk.
Does the research include any activities that would require
signed consent in a non-research context (e.g., liability
waivers)?
|_| No, there are not any study related activities that would
normally require signed consent
|_| Yes, there are study related activities that would normally
require signed consent
Are the subjects or their legally authorized representatives
(LARs) members of a distinct cultural group or community in
which signing forms is not the norm?
|_| No, the subjects/their LARs are not members of a distinct
cultural group or community in which signing forms is not the
norm.
|_| Yes, the subjects/their LARs are members of a distinct
cultural group or community in which signing forms is not the
norm, and there is an appropriate alternative mechanism for
documenting that informed consent was obtained.
Will you provide the participants with a written statement about
the research (i.e., an information sheet that contains all of the
elements of an informed consent form but without the signature
lines)?
|_| No, participants will not receive written information about
the research.
|_| Yes, participants will receive written information about the
research.
Note: A waiver of signed consent is sometimes used in
anonymous surveys or research involving secondary data. This
does not eliminate the need for a consent document, but it
eliminates the need to obtain participant signatures.

XV. CHECKLIST OF INFORMED CONSENT/ASSENT
29. STATEMENT (?)
Submit a copy of all informed consent/assent documents as
separate Word documents with your application.Informed
consent/assent templates are available on our website.
Additional information regarding consent is also available on
our website.
|_| All of the necessary consent/assent documents will be
submitted with my application.
|_| My study strictly uses archival data, so consent documents
are not required.
English:
|_| I will submit a translated copy of my consent material(s)
XVI. PARTICIPANT PRIVACY, DATA SECURITY, & MEDIA
USE
30. PRIVACY (?)
Describe the steps you will take to protect the privacy of your
participants(e.g., If you plan to interview participants, will you
conduct your interviews in a setting where others cannot easily
overhear?):
Note: Privacy refers to persons and their interest in controlling
access to their information.
31. DATA SECURITY (?)
How will you keep your data secure(i.e., password-locked
computer, locked desk, locked filing cabinet, etc.)?
Who will have access to the data (i.e., the researcher and
faculty mentor/chair, only the researcher, etc.)?
Will you destroy the data once the three-year retention period
required by federal regulations expires?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Explain how the data will be destroyed.):

Note: All research-related data must be stored for a minimum of
three years after the end date of the study, as required by
federal regulations.
32. ARCHIVAL DATA (SECONDARY DATA) (?)
Is all or part of the data archival(i.e., previously collected for
another purpose)?
|_| No (Proceed to Non-Archival Data.)
|_| Yes (Answer the questions below.)
Is the archival data publicly accessible?
|_| No (Explain how you will obtain access to this data.):
|_| Yes (Indicate where the data is accessible from, i.e., a
website, etc.):
Will you receive the raw data stripped of identifying
information (e.g., names, addresses, phone numbers, email
addresses, social security numbers, medical records, birth dates,
etc.)?
|_| No (Describe what data will remain identifiable and why this
information will not be removed.):
|_| Yes (Describe who will link and/or strip the data—this
person should have regular access to the data and should be a
neutral party not involved in the study.):
Can the names or identities of the participants be deduced from
the raw data?
|_| No (Place your initials in the box: I will not attempt to
deduce the identity of the participants in this study.):
|_| Yes (Describe):
Please provide the list of data fields you intend to use for your
analysis and/or provide the original instruments used in the
study:
Note: If the archival data is not publicly available, submit proof
of permission to access the data (i.e., school district letter or
email). If you will receive data stripped of identifiers, this must

be stated in the proof of permission letter or email.
33. NON-ARCHIVAL DATA (PRIMARY DATA) (?)
If you are using non-archival data, will the data be anonymousto
you(i.e., Raw data does not contain identifying information and
cannot be linked to an individual/organization by use of
pseudonyms, codes, or other means.)?Note: For studies
involving audio/video recording or photography, select “No”
|_| N/A: I will only use archival data. (Skip to Media.)
|_| No: My data will contain identifiers. (Complete the “No”
section below.)
|_| Yes: My data will not contain identifiers. (Complete the
“Yes” section below.)
**COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF YOU ANSWERED “NO” TO
QUESTION 33**
Can participant names or identities be deduced from the raw
data?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Describe):
Will a person be able to identify a subject based on other
information in the raw data (i.e., title, position, sex, etc.)?
|_| No
|_| Yes (Describe):
Describe the process you will use to ensure the confidentiality
of the participants during data collection and in any
publication(s) (i.e., You may be able to link
individuals/organizations to identifiable data; however, you will
use pseudonyms or a coding system to conceal their identities.):
Do you plan to maintain a list or codebook linking pseudonyms
or codes to participant identities?
|_| No (Justify):
|_| Yes (Please describe where this list/codebook will be stored
and who will have access to the list/codebook. Explicitly state
that the list will not be stored with the data.):

**COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF YOU ANSWERED “YES”
TO QUESTION 33**
Describe the process you will use to collect the data to ensure
that it is anonymous:
Place your initials in the box: I will not attempt to deduce the
identity of the participants in this study:
Note: If you plan to use participant data (i.e., photos,
recordings, videos, drawings) for presentations beyond data
analysis for the research study (e.g., classroom presentations,
library archive, or conference presentations) you will need to
provide a materials release form to the participant.
34. MEDIA USE (?)
Will your participants be audio recorded?
|_| No |_| Yes
Will your participants be video recorded?
|_| No |_| Yes
Will your participants be photographed?
|_| No |_| Yes
**COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF YOU ANSWERED “YES”
TO ANY MEDIA USE**
Include information regarding how participant data will be
withdrawn if he or she chooses to leave the study*:
Will your participants be audio recorded, video recorded, or
photographed without their knowledge?**
|_| No
|_| Yes (Describe the deception and debriefing procedures.):
*Note on Withdrawal: Add the heading “How to Withdraw from
the Study” on the consent document and include a description of
the procedures a participant must perform to be withdrawn.
**Note on Deception: Attach a post-experiment debriefing
statement and a post-deception consent form, offering the
participants the option of having their recording/photograph
destroyed and removed from the study.

XVII. PARTICIPANT COMPENSATION
35. COMPENSATION (?)
Will participants be compensated (e.g., gift cards, raffle entry,
reimbursement, food)?
|_| No (Proceed to Risks.)
|_| Yes (Describe.):
Will compensation be pro-rated if the participant does not
complete all aspects of the study?
|_| No
Note: Certain states outlaw the use of lotteries, raffles, or
drawings as a means of compensating research participants.
Research compensation exceeding $600 per participant within a
one-year period is considered income and will need to be filed
on the participant’s income tax returns. If your study is grant
funded, Liberty University’s Business Office policies might
affect how you compensate participants. Contact the IRB for
additional information.
XVIII. PARTICIPANT RISKS AND BENEFITS
36. RISKS (?)
Describe the risks to participants and any steps that will be
taken to minimize those risks.(Risks can be physical,
psychological, economic, social, or legal. If the only potential
risk is a breach in confidentiality if the data is lost or stolen,
state that here.):
Will alternative procedures or treatments that might be
advantageous to the participants be made available?
|_| No
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION ONLY IF YOUR
STUDY IS CONSIDERED GREATER THAN MINIMAL RISK:
Describe provisions for ensuring necessary medical or
professional intervention in the event of adverse effects to the
participants (e.g., proximity of the research location to medical

facilities or your ability to provide counseling referrals in the
event of emotional distress):
37. BENEFITS (?)
Describe the possible direct benefits to the participants.(If
participants are not expected to receive direct benefits, please
state “No direct benefits.” Completing a survey or participating
in an interview will not typically result in direct benefits to
participants.):
Describe any possible benefits to society:
Evaluate the risk-benefit ratio. (Explain why you believe this
study is worth doing, even with any identified risks.):
Rev 4/2019 4
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The Department of Sport Management Graduate Thesis Guide
Page 2
Table of Contents
General Information
...............................................................................................
..................................... 3
I. Purpose
...............................................................................................
............................................. 3
II. Eligibility
...............................................................................................
..................................... 3
III. Thesis Topics
...............................................................................................
............................... 3

IV. Thesis Courses
...............................................................................................
............................. 4
Reenrollment
...............................................................................................
........................................ 4
V. Advisory Committee
...............................................................................................
........................ 4
VI. Conflicts and Appeals
...............................................................................................
.................. 5
The Research
........................................................................................... ....
................................................ 6
I. Institutional Review Board Student Research
................................................................................ 6
The Thesis Proposal
...............................................................................................
..................................... 7
I. Proposal Length and Content
...............................................................................................
........... 7
II. Proposal Format and Style
...............................................................................................
........... 7
III. Proposal

Deadlines................................................................................
...................................... 8
IV. Acceptance of
Proposal..................................................................................
............................. 8
V. Electronic Submission
.................................................................................. .............
..................... 8
The Thesis
...............................................................................................
.................................................... 8
I. Length and Content
...............................................................................................
.......................... 8
II. Thesis Format and
Style.......................................................................................
....................... 9
III. Deadlines and Submission Procedures
....................................................................................... 9
IV. Electronic Submission
...............................................................................................
................. 9
The Defense
...............................................................................................
............................................... 10
I. Defense Day
...............................................................................................

................................... 10
II. Final Submission
...............................................................................................
........................ 11
Disclaimer and Bibliography
...............................................................................................
..................... 11
Disclaimer
...............................................................................................
.............................................. 11
Bibliography
...............................................................................................
.......................................... 12
Appendices.............................................................................
................................................................... 13
Editing Checklist
...............................................................................................
.................................... 14
Writing Tips
...............................................................................................
........................................... 17
Plagiarism
...............................................................................................
.............................................. 22
Final Defense Announcement
...............................................................................................
................ 25

Final Thesis Defense Decision Form
...............................................................................................
..... 26
Page 3
General Information
I. Purpose
This guide describes the general guidelines for completion of
the proposal and thesis for
the M.S. in Sport Management, along with the required format
for the thesis proposal, the thesis
itself, and associated procedures for submission. Also provided
are helpful books, websites, and
tips for writing, research, and guidance.
All students in the thesis track are encouraged to start thinking
about their thesis topic
early in their master’s program studies. It is important to

consider your thesis topic early!
II. Eligibility
Students who choose not to do a graduate internship are
required to write a Master’s
thesis for conferral of the M.S. in Sport Management. Students
must have completed 21 hours,
successfully passed the comprehensive examination, and have
permission from the Graduate
Studies Director before enrolling in SMGT 689 Thesis Proposal
and Research. In order to gain
permission, the student must email the Graduate Director the
following information:
1. A purpose statement for your study, based on a
preliminary literature review
2. Research question (s)
3. Methods Outline – how do you think you’ll go about
answering your research
question?
4. References Page
Upon review of the information presented, the Graduate Studies
Director will facilitate the

process of locating an appropriate faculty member to supervise
the thesis research. Students
will be assigned a faculty advisor based on the field of study
that their thesis work relates to and
the availability of faculty.
III. Thesis Topics
Once the student has determined the topic that they wish to
pursue for their thesis and
the topic has been approved by the student’s faculty advisor,
they need to collaborate with their
advisor, and move into the process of writing and submitting the
Thesis Proposal. The Graduate
Director and advisor reserve the right to refuse a thesis topic
and request the student to
reevaluate their topic.
A thesis is intended to demonstrate the student’s ability to
successfully carry out
original research. Theses are often designed to solve practical
problems and to answer practical
research questions; they also generally deal with underlying
theoretical, philosophical and/or

ethical issues of interest to scholars and professionals in the
discipline. The thesis is expected to
be of sufficient depth and breadth that (in edited form) it could
be presented for publication in a
professional journal. The master’s thesis should offer evidence
of sound research and an
adequate treatment of a well-defined subject. A mere essay or
compilation of facts will not be
Page 4
accepted. The thesis must be written on a subject under the
cognate area in which the student is
seeking.
It is the responsibility of the student to present well-organized,
personal research and
not that of the faculty advisor. Students should seek assistance
from the Graduate Writing
Center and Library should they need instruction in writing and
research of their thesis. The
Graduate Writing Center will only review the written thesis
once. Please review the guidelines

for the Graduate Writing Center (posted online) with regard to
the thesis process and seek
assistance early in your preparation and research in order to
take full advantage of their
assistance.
IV. Thesis Courses
There are two courses in the thesis sequence: SMGT 689 Thesis
Proposal and
Research, and SMGT 690 Thesis Defense.
In SMGT 689 the student is expected to complete their proposal
for advisor approval,
and complete the compilation of their research and composition
of their thesis. Commensurate
to being admitted to the course, the student will be assigned a
faculty advisor based on the field
of study that their thesis work relates to. The advisor will also
act as the chair during the final
defense.
In SMGT 690 the student is expected to defend their thesis in
front of the thesis
committee. Neither course has scheduled hours but each faculty
supervisor may require certain

reading materials for either course.
Reenrollment
When working on the thesis, maintaining continuous
enrollment is vital. Any student
who is enrolled in SMGT 689 and does not complete their
proposal and thesis to a point
deemed acceptable by the student’s advisor will be required to
enroll again in the next term and
pay the fees associated with the class again. This also applies to
online students; however,
online students will need to enroll in the corresponding term of
each 8 weeks (for example, if
the student begins SMGT 689 in B-term for Fall then they will
re-enroll in B-term for Spring,
etc.). The student will have to pay the course fee again for each
additional term necessary to
complete their thesis and before enrolling in the SMGT 690
course.
V. Advisory Committee
The student will have a thesis advisory committee of three,
comprised of the following:
1. A committee chair (advisor) with an earned doctoral degree

who is a Sport
Management graduate faculty member (residential or LU
Online) at Liberty University;
2. A committee member (reader #1) with a doctoral degree who
is employed by Liberty
University;
3. A committee member (reader #2) with a doctoral degree who
may or may not be
employed by Liberty University.
http://www.liberty.edu/academics/graduate/writing/index.cfm?P
ID=11859
ID=11859
http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=178
ID=11859
Page 5
Students are encouraged to select readers upon their enrollment
into SMGT 689 but
must be approved by the student’s advisor. Moreover, if readers
are not selected initially they

may be employed at any time during the course of SMGT 689,
as needed, by request of the
advisor. In summary, the complete advisory committee can be
formed during various phases of
enrollment in SMGT 689 but must be formed before enrollment
in SMGT 690.
VI. Conflicts and Appeals
Conflicts with advisors, appeals (with an exception regarding
the proposal), and grade
appeals will be handled in accordance with the academic policy
for Liberty University.
Page 6
The Research
All research will be overseen by the student’s advisor. The
advisor will ensure that the
research follows the policies of Liberty University and as
outlined by the Institutional Review

Board (IRB). The IRB guidelines for student research are as
follows (IRB website
http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=12606):
I. Institutional Review Board Student Research
Students at the beginning of a research project, follow the
outline below. Other
questions may be answered by the IRB Frequently Asked
Questions page, or may be emailed
directly to the IRB.
1. Determine if an IRB review is needed.
Masters Theses and dissertations that involve human subjects or
secondary/archival data
require IRB review.
2. Secure a Faculty Sponsor.
For your thesis, your faculty sponsor will be your Advisor
(Chair).
3. View the Avoiding Pitfalls link under Resources on our home
page.
Many times, simple modifications to a design can prevent delay

(or the need for
resubmittal) in the application process. You are encouraged to
read each of the tips sheets in the
Avoiding Pitfalls section.
4. Once you have completed the above steps, you are ready to
complete our IRB Application,
found under Resources > Forms on the Left Column of the IRB
home page.
Your form will need your original signature as Primary
Investigator and your Faculty Sponsor’s
original signature to be considered complete. Please see the
application form instructions for
more information on this step.
5. Submit the IRB Application Form according to the
Application instructions.
We encourage you to submit your application via email, as this
will make the process go
much faster. Emails may be sent to [email protected]
Please feel free to follow-up with the IRB board in two weeks if
you have not heard anything.
For full review submissions (the most complex category)
follow-up in one month if you have

not heard anything.
Please see also the IRB website for further guidelines, forms,
and details; or, contact the IRB
with any questions.
(http://www.liberty.edu/academics/graduate/irb/index.cfm?PID=
12606)
http://www.liberty.edu/academics/graduate/irb/index.cfm?PID=
15194
mailto:[email protected]
23392
20088
mailto:[email protected]
12606
Page 7
The Thesis Proposal

I. Proposal Length and Content
The thesis proposal is the background and planning document
for the thesis. It must be
professional and thorough, and it must be a product of the
student’s own original thought and
effort. Use of others’ work must be properly referenced in
accordance with the APA guidelines.
The thesis proposal should be between 15 - 20 pages, not
including the cover page or
references. However, the length will vary according to the
demands of each thesis and will
ultimately be at the discretion of the thesis advisor. At a
minimum, it will include the following,
in APA format:
Cover page (with working title)
Introduction to the proposed topic
Purpose and significance (why the paper will add to the body of
knowledge in the
discipline)
Statement of the research problem (including relevant research
questions)
Literature review (assessing relevant scholarship which informs

the thesis)
Methodology (overview of whether the study will be
quantitative, qualitative, or mixed, and
its justification, and what exact methods are to be used)
Working Reference List
II. Proposal Format and Style
The proposal should be written in accordance with the
Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (students should contact
the writing center, or visit the
graduate writing center website, with questions regarding the
APA formatting and guidelines).
Electronic references (including Tweets, Facebook, Blog, and
other online sources) should be
formatted as described in the APA guidelines. The proposal also
should be preceded by a
formal title page.
Margins: 1 inch at the top and bottom, 1 inch on the right side,
and 1.5 inch on the left
side (for binding purposes). 1 inch top margins for the prefatory
pages, for the first page of each
chapter, and for the first page of the references.

Font and Justification: Times New Roman, 12 point font. Text
within the body of the
manuscript should be left justified.
ID=11960
ID=11960
ID=11859
Page 8
III. Proposal Deadlines
The student should follow submission deadlines set by their
advisor. It is strongly
encouraged that the student set a timeline in order to reach
completion of their thesis within
their desired graduation time.
Personal Time Schedule
Date Item to be submitted Date Submitted

It is strongly suggested that students remain in contact with
their advisor during the
proposal process as not to miss deadlines. Students who are not
in contact with their advisor
and showing satisfactory progress may not be permitted to
register for an additional research
and proposal term should they miss a deadline. This situation
might affect graduate
assistantships, financial aid status, and potentially delay
completion of the program should it
occur.
IV. Acceptance of Proposal
The thesis advisor (and/or readers) will review the proposal and
respond to the student
with either: (1) accepted and approved to continue, (2)
conditional accepted (the student must
modify the proposal before continuing work on the thesis), or
(3) rejected (the proposal is

deemed unacceptable and the student should contact the thesis
advisor for advice on preparing a
different proposal). Proposals that are conditionally accepted or
rejected must submit a new
proposal to the advisor by the due date given.
V. Electronic Submission
Please contact your advisor to inquire about electronic
submissions of proposals.
The Thesis
I. Length and Content
There are no maximum page requirements for a Master’s thesis;
although, the length of
the paper should reflect the scope of the topic, the amount of
literature to be reviewed, and the
chosen methodology.
The advisor will have the final say as to what content is
appropriate in the Master’s
thesis, but in general any thesis will include the following:
Title page

Signature page
Page 9
Abstract
Dedication/ Acknowledgement (optional)
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations
Manuscript Chapters
References
Appendices
The thesis will be divided into chapters. (Not all theses will
have the same chapter titles
or the same number of chapters – this depends on the nature of
the study.)
II. Thesis Format and Style
The body of the paper must be written using APA style as

outlined in the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Margins: 1 inch at the top and bottom, 1 inch on the right side,
and 1.5 inch on the left
side (for binding purposes). 1 .5 inch top margins for the
prefatory pages, for the first page of
each chapter, and for the first page of the references.
Font and Justification: Times New Roman, 12 point font. Text
within the body of the
manuscript should be left justified.
Page Numbering and Count: Page numbers are centered, 1 inch
from the bottom of the
page. The prefatory pages are numbered using Roman Numerals;
the body of the dissertation is
numbered using Arabic numerals. The counting of pages begins
with the title page; however,
the page number is not put on the title page. The copy right
page, the signature page, and the
abstract page are not counted nor numbered. The dedication
page is the first page after the title
page that is counted and numbered (i.e. ii).

For further information regarding formatting please see the
Appendix–Editing Checklist.
III. Deadlines and Submission Procedures
The final draft of the thesis should be submitted to the advisor
and the readers no later
than the date given by the advisor. If revisions are required, the
revised thesis should be
delivered to the advisor by the submission due date given. Once
approved by the advisor, the
student will be enrolled into SMGT 690, and scheduling for the
final defense may begin.
IV. Electronic Submission
Electronic submission of the thesis final draft is by discretion of
the advisor.
Page 10
The Defense
After the thesis is deemed acceptable by your advisor for you

to be enrolled in SMGT
690, you will orally defend your research for the Thesis
Committee. Working with your
advisor, you will need to arrange the date, time and location to
present your final defense. You
can expect the thesis defense to last 1 to 3 hours. Once the date,
time and location are confirmed
you will need to complete and email the Defense Announcement
Form to the Graduate
Secretary. (Please see Appendix D – Final Defense
Announcement.)
I. Defense Day
Basic questions that will be posed to the student regarding the
thesis will include
questions on the design of their study, outcomes of their
research, choice of methods, other
research in the field, and analysis. The student will need to be
prepared to answer questions
regarding all aspects of their methodologies, findings, and
conclusions included in the thesis.
The student is also required to bring a hard copy of the thesis
manuscript to the defense for each
committee member.

During the defense, students must dress in proper business
attire. The student will be
given 20 minutes to present an overview of their thesis (a
Microsoft Powerpoint presentation is
required and should be sent to the Chair at least one week prior
to the defense). The
presentation needs to include an overview of the study’s
purpose and significance (both
practical and empirical), the methods, the analysis, the results,
limitations, discussion of the
findings, and suggestions for future research. Following the
presentation, the student will be
presented questions by the thesis committee. Two rounds of
questions will be posed by the
committee after which visitors may be allowed to ask questions
at the discretion of the Chair.
Any committee member who cannot attend the final defense
must, in advance, submit questions
in writing to the Chair. The Chair will read the questions and
ensure that they are answered by
the student to the satisfaction of the other committee members.
If a committee member is
absent without submitting questions in advance, the thesis
defense must be rescheduled.

Following the student's presentation and the rounds of
questions, the final defense will be
adjourned and the student and any visitors will be asked to
leave the room. The committee will
make a decision based on the following categories:
editorial corrections to be
made to the satisfaction of the advisor.
changes in substance or major
editorial changes which are to be made to the satisfaction of
members of the Thesis
Committee designated by the Committee. The Thesis
Committee's report must include a
brief outline of the nature of the changes required, the date by
which the changes are to
be completed, and the consequences if the student fails to
comply.
changes, but will be

acceptable when these changes are made to the satisfaction of
the members of the Thesis
Committee designated by the Committee. The Thesis
Committee's report must include a
Page 11
brief outline of the nature of the changes required, the date by
which the changes are to
be completed, and the consequences if the student fails to
comply.
substantial nature the need for
which makes the acceptability of the thesis questionable. The
Thesis Committee's report
must contain a brief outline of modifications required, the date
by which the changes are
to be completed, and the consequences if the student fails to
comply. The revised thesis
must be re-submitted to the Committee for reexamination. The
reexamination will
follow the same procedures as for the initial submission. This
decision is only open once

for each candidate.
e Chair of the examination
will report the reasons for
rejection and advise the student on the suitability of the
candidate continuing in the
program.
Subsequently, the student will be invited to reenter the room
and the final decision of
the committee will be conveyed to the student. After the final
defense is finished, the Chair
will complete the Final Thesis Defense Decision Form (Please
see Appendix E) and will deliver
it to the student with the necessary signatures.
Changes may be required to the thesis after the final defense.
Once these changes have
been completed, the student must submit the final thesis to the
Chair. Once the final thesis is
approved, the chair determines a final grade for SMGT 690. The
grade should not be provided
until all edits are complete and the final document is submitted
to the library through the digital

commons system (see below).
II. Final Submission
Upon approval from the chair, the student follows the ILRC
submission guidelines for
publication. These guidelines must be strictly followed and can
be accessed at Theses and
Dissertations Publishing Guidelines. The candidate is required
to furnish bound copies of his or
her thesis to the chair, the committee members, and the Liberty
University Department of Sport
Management (Step 8 on the ILRC website: the bindery). The
student must select cover color
490, gold lettering for the cover, title printed on the spine and
the cover, and single-sided
printing option.
Disclaimer and Bibliography
Disclaimer
This guide and its content reflect the practices and policies of
Liberty University, the
School of Education, and the Department of Sport Management.

This guide does contain
original material, common knowledge material, and non-original
documents; it is in no way
represented as original work solely by the composer(s). It does
not constitute a contract and is
subject to change at the discretion of Liberty University
Department of Sport Management.
This version of the thesis guide supersedes all previous
versions.
http://www.thesisondemand.com/
Page 12
Bibliography
Eggenschwiler, Jean (1997). Cliffs Quick Review; Writing:
Grammar, Usage, and Style.
Lincoln, Nebraska: Cliffs Notes. USBN: 0-49086-05367-8
Liberty University Faculty Handbook (July, 2011)
Liberty University School of Education Dissertation Guide.

https://community.liberty.edu/Academics/School_Education/Dis
sertations/defau
lt.aspx
Liberty University Writing Program Thesis/ Dissertation
Guidelines
ID=19740
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry Thesis
Project Handbook
University Writing Program Writing Aids
ID=12268
Liberty University Library
sertations/default.aspx
sertations/default.aspx
ID=19740
ID=12268

Page 13
Appendices
Appendix A- Editing Checklist
..............................................................................................
Appendix B- Writing Tips
...............................................................................................
......
Appendix C- Plagiarism
...............................................................................................
..........
Appendix D- Final Defense Announcement
..........................................................................
Appendix E- Final Thesis Defense Decision Form
...............................................................
Page 14
Appendix A
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SPORT MANAGEMENT
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Editing Checklist
Formatting Y N Comments
Page order: The order of the pages is as follows: Title
page, Signature page, Abstract, Dedication/
Acknowledgement (optional), Table of Contents, List of
Tables, List of Figures, List of Abbreviations,
Manuscript Chapters, References, Appendices
Margins: The margins for all chapters of the Thesis are
as follows: 1 inch at the top and bottom, 1 inch on the
right side, and 1.5 inch on the left side (for binding
purposes). 1 inch top margins for the prefatory pages, for
the first page of each chapter, and for the first page of the
references.

Text and Justification: All text is Times New Roman,
12 point font. Text within the body of the manuscript
should be left justified.
Page Counts and Numbers: Page numbers are centered,
1 inch from the bottom of the page. The prefatory pages
are numbered using Roman Numerals; the body of the
dissertation is numbered using Arabic numerals. The
counting of pages begins with the title page; however, the
page number is not put on the title page. The copy right
page, the signature page, and the abstract page are not
counted nor numbered. The dedication page is the first
page after the title page that is counted and numbered
(i.e. ii).
Title Page: The title page includes the title of the
manuscript, the author, the university supervising the
research, and the date completed. The title should reflect

the research completed and should be 10 words or less. 1
inch top margins are used; a running head is NOT
included.
Abstract: The abstract clearly and succinctly
summarizes the contents of the manuscript and is 120
words or less. It is contained on a separate page
following the title and signature page. The word
Page 15
“ABSTRACT” should be in all caps and a Level 1
heading, centered, 1.5 inches from the top of the page.
Table of Contents: The Table of Contents lists the
various chapters and subsections of the manuscript along
with their page numbers. The table of contents includes
the acknowledgement, list of tables, list of figures,
CHAPTER TITLES (all caps), REFERENCES (all caps),

and APPENDICES(all caps). It is justified left. The
subsections included are to be level 1 and level 2
headings within the manuscript. Level 1 headings are
indented one-half inch. Entries should be double spaced.
Page numbers are inserted in the footer, centered,
lowercase roman numerals.
List of Tables: The List of Tables cite the tables and the
corresponding pages of each table. The title of this page
is a Level 1 heading, centered, 1.5 inches from the top of
the page. Entries are double spaced. Page number is
inserted in the footer, centered, lowercase roman
numerals.
List of Figures: The List of Figures cites the figures and
the corresponding pages of each figure. The title of this
page is a Level 1 heading, centered, 1.5 inches from the
top of the page. Entries are double spaced. Page number
is inserted in the footer, centered, lowercase roman

numerals.
List of Abbreviations: The List of Abbreviations
identifies the phrase and corresponding abbreviation or
acronym used. The list should be in alphabetical order.
Each phrase should be listed and the abbreviation or
acronym in parentheses [e.g. Higher Education (HE)].
The title of this page is a Level 1 heading, centered, 1.5
inches from the top of the page. Entries are double
spaced. Page number is inserted in the footer, centered,
lowercase roman numerals.
Chapters: The chapter numbers are written rather than in
numerical form. The entire chapter titles are capitalized,
centered, 1.5 inches from the top of the page. Titles
longer than one line are single spaced.
APA, Grammar, Spelling Y N Comments
Style: The entire manuscript, including references,

follows the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (APA), the sixth edition.
Grammar: Proper grammar is used and follows the rules
outlined in the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (APA), the sixth edition (e.g.
verb tense consistent throughout, minimal usage of “to
Page 16
be” verbs, pronoun-antecedent agreement and subject-
verb agreement, parallel construction, varied in structure,
rhythm, and length, full sentences).
Punctuation : Punctuation is used correctly and follows
the rules outlined in the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (APA), the sixth
edition.

Spelling: The manuscript is free from misspelled words.
Word Choice: Word choice clear, concise, and precise,
Is jargon, figures of speech, anthropomorphism, editorial
“we” and colloquialism avoided. Non biased language is
used.
Voice: Active voice is primarily used throughout the
manuscript.
Quotes: Quotes are cited correctly (over 50 words are
formatted as a block quote.)
Numbers: APA rules for numbers used.
Tables and Figures: If tables and figures are used, they
are formatted APA style.
Flow of Thought; Paragraph and Sentences Structure Y N
Comments
The writing is logical, organized, and coherent fashion.
The paragraphs flow smoothly from one to another and
transitional sentences used between paragraphs.

Paragraphs have a thesis sentences. All sentences within
the paragraph support the thesis sentence
Sentences are clear and concise (e.g. look at one or two
of the sentences and consider if they could be written
using less words without losing meaning). Redundancy
is avoided.
Page 17
Appendix B
Writing Tips
(An outline with references from Writing: Grammar, Usage, and
Style by Jean Eggenschwiler.)
Collegiate writing involves mainly the following elements:
reporting information,

providing instruction, explaining a process, arguing a position,
proving a point, or analyzing a
text, theory, attitude, or event. Most of the collegian’s writing
will focus on argument and
analysis.
Understand
When approaching your writing, it is best to keep your point or
purpose in mind as you
develop your paper. You will want to ‘start with the end in
mind’ and understand the direction/
point your research material needs to support and develop your
topics to meet that end goal.
Balance
Remember that you will want to balance your topic.
For instance, if you are arguing the need for a reform, then you
will want to understand
and state the current policies, give supporting argument for
change in those policies, and point
toward your end goal of reformation.
You will want to balance the amount of explanation of current

policies and the research
detailing the need for a change in those policies. Picture a pie,
everyone likes their equal share
of a pie and does not want to receive less than anyone else. It is
the same with writing, equal
portions assist in supporting and moving your writing along
while keeping your audience’s
attention.
Audience
It is highly important to write with your audience in mind.
Many writers forget who
they are writing for.
In the collegiate atmosphere, you are writing to individuals who
have spent years
studying and writing on the same topics that you are developing
your paper to address. If you
were writing for someone who knew nothing of your topic, you
might give definitions for area
specific terms, with the realization that someone outside of that
field of study might not
understand what that term is; but, with collegiate writing, you
can safely work with the

assumption that you will be addressing like-minded individuals
with vast experience and
knowledge in that field.
Helpful questions to ask yourself, before writing, to identify
your audience are:
study(Psychology, English literature,
Genetics, Sport, etc.)? [Tip: This can be helpful in examining
whether or not you
will need to relate your topic across more than one field of
study for understanding.]
Page 18
concepts I will be
discussing? (Yes, Keep your definitions to a minimum. No,
Define, define, define,
as if they have never heard of your work before.)
ckground information on
my topic or will a
detailed summary be enough? (Expert in the field, detail
summary. Novice, Give

extensive background.)
more simplified
vocabulary or will they understand more technical and precise
language? (If your
audience is in middle school, then they might not understand
words like
‘Eschatology’, but would understand ‘The Study of the End
Times’. If your
audience is a bible professor in seminary, then use the word
Eschatology, they will
know the meaning without explanation.)
you are writing your
paper as an argument you will want to keep your language to
sway others in support
of your view, and not argue against yourself.)
Keep in mind that you will not want to address an expert in a
field of study as though
they are a Fifth grader who has never heard of your topic!
Organizing Your Writing
Getting started can be difficult, but you can do simple things to

help organize your
materials, which will in return help your writing to be more
organized. Below is helpful
information in starting, moving through, and completing the
writing process.
Develop an Outline
Developing a true outline of your paper will help you to not
only organize your
thoughts, but your research and topics/talking points, as well.
Example:
A Need for Reformation in the 20
th
Century Evangelical Church
I. The first reformation of the church came in XXXX…
a. What brought about the first church reformation?
b. How has that affected the Evangelical Church?
c. What is the impact on evangelism and the church at this time
due to the
reformation?
d. When does this reformation turn and spur another need for
reformation in the
church?

II. The next noted reformation of the church occurred in
XXXX…
a. What brought about this reformation?
b. How did that affect the Evangelical Church?
c. How did that affect evangelism in that time and the church?
d. Where are we now that would support a new reformation of
the evangelical
church?
III. A call for reformation in the 20
th
Century Evangelical Church
a. Where the church or society is spiritually, compared to the
past, to support a
need for reformation?
Page 19
b. How would we support reformation in the current evangelical
church?
c. What would be the lessons we need to take from previous
reformations and
decline of the evangelical church in today’s society?
Outlines can be adapted to support chapters of a Master’s
Thesis. Each question posed can be a

chapter or point needing support in the paper. [Tip: By using an
outline you allow yourself to
be directed in your research and writing, and allow for
flexibility should you not find research
to support a point. You can easily substitute or eliminate that
point without losing focus on your
topic, and maintain balance in your writing.]
Writing
Choose a topic appropriate to the
length of your paper and that
interests you. You want a topic that is sufficiently broad to be
robust but not too broad so to
hinder your matriculation through the thesis process. Hence, a
master’s thesis could involve
a broad topic such as “A Need for Reformation in the 20
th
Century Evangelical Church”
versus a narrow topic such as “The Reformed 20
th
Century Evangelical Church Model”.
The first can be a good document with well-developed topics
and discussions on
Reformation of the 20

th
Century Evangelical Church, the latter would be a narrow
discussion paper not nearly suitable for a Master’s Thesis. [Tip:
When choosing your topic
you may need to do some brief, early research to ensure that
there is sufficient material to
cover your topic and present a well-formed Master’s Thesis. If
you start developing your
paper and find that your research is not of sufficient breadth
then do not fear changing your
topic.]
en material available on your
topic. A frequent mistake in
writing is failing to provide sufficient examples and evidence
that give detailed support of
your talking point, topic, and thesis. General, unsupported
statements and points are
unconvincing and uninteresting.
o Take notes while you are reading your research (be sure to
write down the citation for
your notes, this will assist you in avoiding plagiarism should
you incorporate any part of
that note in your writing).

o The notes, and research associated with them, may never
appear in your writing, but
may further help you direct the topic you are discussing. [Tip:
Keep an on-going citation
list (already in APA format) of all of your reference materials
that you have reviewed.
This will allow you to easily reference the materials you have
used for research and
keep you from having to locate a citation when you are finished.
This also assists you in
avoiding plagiarism.]
s
you want to make to support
that idea. Your thesis should require you to express a position
on your topic and defend that
position with research and written materials. [Tip: Write your
thesis (or your end goal) at
the top of a paper and put each point you wish to make as an
outline for organizing your
research for later writing.]
o Develop your written thesis statement to summarize the
argument you will pose and
support with your research in order to support your main topic.

Page 20
supports the points you want to
make in your writing (this will involve a lot of reading and
research). [Tip: When you
gather your print materials, organize them under each topic that
you want to use to support
your main thesis. This will later assist you in writing your paper
and organizing your
thoughts.]
want to present your data. [Tip:
Keep the balance of your paper in mind, if you have bulky
amounts of data for one point,
try breaking that point into smaller discussion areas to assist
your reader along. Adjust your
outline according to those discussion areas.]
discussion points, and end goal, start
writing your first draft, following your outline, and include
references for your gathered

materials.
oving into
the final draft phase of your
writing. When editing keep in mind:
o Content: Do I have sufficient information to support my
topics and end goal? Should I
gather more research to support any point?
o Style: Am I writing to my audience, is there anything that
needs more detailed
explanation in order to get my point across better? Are there
any areas in which my
audience may not understand the topic I am discussing?
o Mechanics: Grammar, word usage, sentence structure,
punctuation, formatting for APA,
and organization. You will need help here, we all do! This is
where your editor comes in
handy, use them, abuse them, take them baked goods. Hand your
paper to buddies to
read and point out things. All of these techniques are important
to formatting a good,
well written paper. You have looked at your writing for weeks
and will become blind to
your own mistakes, having extra eyes will allow you to present
a more polished and
well written paper. Remember, even the most accomplished

writer uses editors to
achieve their finished product. [Tip: Cite as you write. It is easy
to forget where a quote
or referenced material comes from, so cite it as you are writing
it, it will make your
editing process easier in the end.]
ebsites
also.)
Association site)
available as podcasts)
FT: Yes, even after all those eyes have
looked at and wrote all over
your hard work, you will need to edit again. Take all of the
feedback and give your paper a
serious look. Change the mechanics where needed. Address
anything that is not clear in
your topics, adjust wording to ease the readers progress through
your paper. All of this will
benefit you in the end. Then, have your final finalized. This
involves one more look by an

outsider. Allow them to mark it up, and make those adjustments
(this is your big visit to the
writing center).
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
file:///C:/Users/malawhorne/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows
/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/XFQ5GBAW
/www.apastyle.org
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Page 21
your points, you have noted your
research and documents properly, your grammar is fluid, your
punctuation is right, you are
understood, and you have made your point. It is time to hand in
your work.
Page 22
Appendix C

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is not just using someone else’s words, but using
someone’s ideas also.
When you are referencing, even a brief reference, someone’s
thoughts or ideas on a topic, even
if it is not their direct words, you must cite them. Generally
known or accepted knowledge, like
creationism, does not need to be cited, but someone’s direct
work regarding creationism must
be cited. If you are in doubt as to whether or not to cite a work,
cite it anyway. You are better
safe than sorry.
All students should regularly review the Power Point
Presentation by Dr. Emily Heady
of the Online Writing Center at
ID=12268 along with other
available writing resources.
Resources

ID=12268
Fair Use and the Fair Use Checklist:
http://www.liberty.edu/informationservices/ilrc/library/index.cf
m?PID=20109
Resource Center (ILRC):
bsite: http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=10446
Liberty University’s Plagiarism Policy can be found in the
Graduate Catalog Pages 30, 32.
The policy states, in brief, as follows:
1. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the intentional failure to give sufficient
attribution to the words, ideas, or
data of others that the student has incorporated into his/her
work for the purpose of
misleading the reader. In some cases, a student may be careless
and fail to give credit to
the words, ideas or data of others. In such situations, plagiarism

has still occurred, but the
professor may choose from an array of sanctions he/she deems
appropriate. In order to
avoid plagiarism, students must conscientiously provide
sufficient attribution. Attribution
is sufficient if it adequately informs and, therefore, does not
materially mislead a
reasonable reader as to the true source of the words, ideas, or
data. Students who have any
doubt as to whether they have provided sufficient attribution
have the responsibility to
obtain guidance from their professor or other person to whom
they are submitting their
ID=12268
ID=12268
http://www.liberty.edu/informationservices/ilrc/library/index.cf
m?PID=20109
http://www.liberty.edu/media/1109/2012-2013-LU-Graduate-
Catalog.pdf
Page 23

work. Plagiarism in papers, projects or any assignment prepared
for a class shall include
the following:
around material quoted
from any printed source (including digital material)
specific source without
properly referencing the source
submitting it as an
original
or parts of a paper) and representing it as
one’s own work
work previously submitted at
this or any other institution to fulfill academic requirements in
another class. For
example, using a paper from a prior class for a current course
assignment is academic
fraud. Slightly altered work that has been resubmitted is also
considered to be
fraudulent. With prior permission, some professors may allow

students to complete
one assignment for two classes. In this case prior permission
from both instructors is
absolutely necessary.
2. Cheating
Cheating is a form of dishonesty in which a student attempts to
give the appearance of a
level of knowledge or skill that the student has not obtained,
gives unauthorized aid, or
wrongly takes advantage of another’s work. Examples include,
but are not limited to:
assignment
k
on an examination or an
assignment
unauthorized assistance
on an examination or an assignment
another, or permitting another
to take an examination or to complete an assignment for the
student

assignment or an
examination
3. Falsification
Falsification is a form of dishonesty in which a student
misrepresents the truth, invents
facts, or distorts the origin or content of information used as
authority. Examples include,
but are not limited to:
application process
Page 24
included in the source
ght or idea when it
is known not to
support the thought or idea

cited in the body of
the paper nor consulted
ng data or statistical results to support conclusions
Page 25
Appendix D
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Final Defense Announcement
Please Specify the Location of Defense:
___________________________________
Defense Date and Time:

____________________________________________________
Thesis Title:
_____________________________________________________
_____________
Abstract:
Biographical Information:
_________________________________
_______________________________
Candidate Signature Date
_______________________________________________
Print Name

*Please submit the completed form to the Graduate Secretary.
(This document is sourced from the Liberty University School
of Education.)
Page 26
Appendix E
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Final Thesis Defense Decision Form
ID Number
___________________________________________
Last Name
___________________________________________

First Name
___________________________________________
Student
Signature__________________________________________
DATE: _________
THESIS TITLE:
Committee Decision:
Explain Decision (as applicable):
List revisions needed:

Chair:_______________________________________________
____
Reader 1:
_______________________________________________
Reader 2:
_______________________________________________

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