7 Deliverables

7.1 Annotated Bibliography

In preparation for the literature review section of your paper, you will create an annotated bibliography of your collected sources. You will describe the key results of each source and show the connection to your research question. As you expand the annotated bibliography, you should consider how you will synthesize the sources into a cohesive literature review for your final paper. Furthermore, your search will allow you to uncover a gap in the literature that you will include in your paper to motivate the relevance and originality of your research question.

7.2 Inquiry Proposal Form

Before students begin conducting their research, they must submit an inquiry proposal form to their teacher for approval. Research that involves human subjects will go through an Institutional Review Board (IRB) process to ensure compliance with research ethics. If your research requires IRB review, your inquiry proposal form should include a completed IRB form as well as any accompanying documents such as proposed surveys, interview questions, or questionnaires. Your teacher will not grant approval of your inquiry proposal form until your proposed research has passed IRB review. [CR2a] [CR3]

During the approval process of your inquiry proposal form, you are not allowed to begin conducting research. However, in the meanwhile, you should continue your literature review and study general methods applicable to your proposed research as preparation.

7.3 Poster Presentation

Your initial practice and formulation of your final presentation will be an informal poster presentation in which you will present a short elevator speech of your research topic with a poster that contains a problem statement, research question, hypotheses, proposed methods, and references. [CR1g] [CR5]

7.4 Research Blueprint Poster

After you have learned more about the research design and methods appropriate for your research, you will design an informal research blueprint poster that outlines your proposed methods. This poster will help you design the methods section of your final presentation slides and provide an opportunity for peer review before you delineate your research methods in more detail in the research proposal. [CR1g] [CR5]

7.5 Research Proposal

After your teacher approves your inquiry proposal form, you may proceed with your research and develop a lengthier research proposal to fine tune and expand upon elements of the inquiry proposal form. The research proposal will contain an introduction with a focused research question and hypothesis, initial draft of a literature review, and details of proposed methods. Many elements of the research proposal will be similar to your responses in the inquiry proposal form, but some sections such as the literature review should include more synthesis and reflect your teacher’s feedback on the inquiry proposal form. This research proposal can serve as a template for the first draft of your academic paper. [CR3]

7.6 Process and Reflection Portfolio (PREP)

In order to keep track of the research process, students will keep a digital Process and Reflection Portfolio (PREP). The final PREP version should document each step of the research process and include the following items: [CR4a]

  • Readme file
  • Research question (formulation process)
  • Annotated bibliography
  • IRB and consent forms
  • Documentation of interactions with expert advisors
  • Inquiry proposal form
  • Research proposal
  • Paper drafts
  • Data with documentation
  • Peer review (comments/reflection)
  • Poster presentation
  • Research blueprint poster
  • Presentation slides
  • Oral defense preparation questions
  • Reflection on research process
  • Student signature of attestation: “I affirm that all work contained in this Process and Reflection Portfolio (PREP) is my own and complies with the AP Capstone Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information.”

In your weekly check-ins with your teacher, you will use your PREP to demonstrate your research progress. [CR4b]

7.7 Academic Paper

Your final academic paper should contain 4000–5000 words and include the following components: [CR3]

  1. Introduction

    • You should contextualize your focused research question in the field of inquiry by synthesizing a literature review that describes the current understanding of your research topic.
    • After the literature review, you should identify a gap in the literature that demonstrates the value of your research question.
    • Your research question should also include your hypothesis or set of hypotheses that you will test using a research method.

  2. Method, Process, or Approach

    • You should select and justify your choice of a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approach to test your research question.
    • Ensure that your method is replicable by describing each step of the process in detail with references to additional materials in the appendix if necessary.

  3. Results, Products, or Findings

    • Describe both the evidence and results in detail.
    • Explain how you used the evidence in your research method to obtain your results.

  4. Discussion, Analysis, and/or Evaluation

    • Describe the implications of your findings. If your research did not yield expected results, explain why you believe the outcome did not match your hypothesis.
    • Connect your findings to your research question and the broader field of inquiry.
    • Address limitations of your study.
    • Discuss directions for further studies.

7.8 Presentation and Oral Defense

You will have 20 minutes to present your research and answer questions from a three-member panel. Your AP Research teacher will be part of the panel and select two additional panel members. While the other panel members will provide notes and input regarding your presentation, only your AP Research teacher will conduct the actual scoring, which will constitute 25% of your official AP Research score.

After your presentation, each member of the panel will ask one question from the list of oral defense questions found on pages 58–59 of the AP Research Course and Exam Description. You will receive one question from each section of the list. Since the oral defense component counts toward the 20-minute limit, you should consider completing your presentation in 16 minutes to allow for enough time for oral defense questions. [CR5]