Thesis Guidelines Postgraduate Dental College

ResearchGuidelines

PostgraduateDentalCollege

August2016

Guidelines

ResearchisarequirementofallstudentsenrolledinMastersofSciencedegreegrantingprogramsofthePostgraduateDentalCollege.CompletionoftheresearchrequirementandalldidacticandclinicalrequirementsassociatedwiththecurriculumplanoftherespectiveresidencyprogramconstitutetheprerequisitesforgraduationandawardoftheMasterofScienceinOralBiologyDegree.TheappropriateServiceDentalSchool DeanwillattestvialettertotheExecutiveDeaninAprilthatallrequirementsforgraduationonJune30ofthat year willhavebeencompleted.The letter willprovidethestudentsnameasitshould appearonthedegreeandthetitleoftheresearchproject.

Eachstudentwillworkwith aprimaryresearchmentor oftheirchoice.Thismentorisusuallyselected in consultationwiththestudent’sProgramDirector.Inaddition,thestudent andprimaryresearchmentorwillselectacommitteeofnotlessthantwoadditionalfacultyadvisorstoassist thestudent’sresearchefforts.Itisanticipatedand expectedthat research effortswithinthePostgraduateDentalCollege willreflectavarietyof clinical,benchtop,animal,anddentalpublichealthbasedprojects.

TheprimarygoalofthePostgraduateDentalCollegeresearchrequirementistosupportthegoalofgraduatingmaster cliniciandentalspecialiststhathaveasound scientificbasisfor theselectionofmaterials,techniques,andthetechnology. Whilecompletingtheresearchrequirement,studentswilllearntheresearchprocesswhichincludesbut isnotlimitedto: selection of atopicanddefineananswerableresearchquestion,conductathoroughreviewofapplicableliterature,consultappropriatestatisticalresourcestodetermineasample sizebasedon aPowerAnalysis(ifthisstepisapplicabletostudytype),conductthe researchproject,applyappropriatestatisticalanalysistodata,documenttheresearchinthesisorpublishablepaperformat (asdeterminedin consultationwithstudent’s research committee), present theresearchin apublicformasdescribedbelow,andcompleteallUniversitydocumentationrequirements.

Documentationof allresearch willbe maintainedbytheService School to includebasicinformationonallprotocols,reviewandapprovaldocuments,periodicreports,andadverseeventreports.The School willutilizetheInstitutional ReviewBoard(IRB)ofthesupportingmedicaltreatmentfacility(MTF);theUSUHSIRBwillprovideconcurrenceapprovalfollowingapprovalbythe MTFIRB.ResearchproposalsandUSUHSForm3202D (3202D)willbeprovidedtotheUniversityVicePresidentforResearch(VPR)forallstudentresearchatthe timeofproject approval,whichusuallyoccurswithinthefirstyearoftheresidencyprogram.

Priortograduation,studentswillpresenttheirresearch totheircolleaguesandfacultyin aforumchosenbytheirprogramdirectorsanddean. Thewrittendocumentationoftheresearchmaybepresented in standardthesisformatthatcanbefoundontheUSULRCweb pageat -

-or inmanuscript formas prescribedforthetargetedpeerreviewedpublication.Itshouldbenotedthatthethesisformat prescribedhereisalsoapplicabletothedoctoraldissertationand isa goodlearningtoolinitself.

AdditionalResearchGuidesthat maybehelpfulduringthesisor manuscriptpreparationcanbefoundontheUSULRCwebpageat-

Thefinalthesisormanuscript shouldbeforwardedbythe endofJuneofthe graduation yearthroughtheExecutiveDeantotheLearningResourceCenter(LRC)forarchivingin electronicformat.Asignedstatementofcopyrightwillaccompanythethesisormanuscript(Student-Copyright statement) alongwitha copyof theresearch approvalpage,signed bythestudent’sprimaryresearchmentorandallmembersoftheresearchcommittee (Research Approval).

Priorto givingpresentationsor submittingpublicationsbased onthestudent’sresearch,writtenreleasefromthe applicableServiceandUniversitymustfirstbeobtained. Universityapprovalcanberequestingincoordinationwithlocalapproval.TheformusedforrequestingUniversityapprovalcanbefoundattachedtothisdocument(Manuscript Approval/Clearance).