Demystifying Comps
- 1. Demystifying Comps Xue Xing Workforce Education University of Georgia
- 2. General things to know For Workforce Education program: One month to respond to four questions: Theory Foundations Research Practice 15 pages double-space excluding references for each question Cover page for each question before your response References could be at the end of all four responses or of each response (the latter is preferred) Binders with responses to all four questions for each of your committee member APA format
- 3. When will you know Preliminary meeting with your committee Introduction about yourself, program of study, current research Your dissertation proposal abstract (one page, references upon request) Brief intro Statement of Purpose Methodology (Design, Participants, Instrumentation, Procedure, Data analysis) Your committee will ask you questions about your proposal Each committee member picks up a question and imply you the direction of his/her question Communicate with your advisor to make sure you understand what questions are probably going to be asked
- 4. Strategies to complete Start when you are ready! Have a draft of Ch1, 2, 3 before you start Your comps questions are entirely based on your research The deeper you understand your research, the better you are prepared The aim of comps is to prepare you for your proposal/prospectus Once your start: Make sure you understand each question well – Never start writing when you are not sure!! Stop! Go to that committee member and ask! Manage your time well Always save your work Try to write down your responses and then revise once or twice Remember the big picture!
- 5. Let’s be prepared! Theory What theory explains your Dependent Variable (DV) ? What do we know about that theory? What does that theory say about your DV? What part of that theory guide your study? And How? How does that theory explain the relationship between your DV and your selection of Independent Variables (IVs)? Foundations Research Practice
- 6. Let’s be prepared! Theory Foundations What are some foundational issues of your study? If you are constructing a test, the question may be “what is the process of test construction” If you are studying the impact of A on DV, the question may be “what are impacts of A on DV based on the literature” Research Practice
- 7. Let’s be prepared! Theory Foundations Research What method are you going to use in your study? What do we know about that method? How should that method be used (procedures, assumptions, data analysis, interpretations)? Why do you select that method? Practice
- 8. Let’s be prepared! Theory Foundations Research Practice What is the practical implementation of your study? or What is the educational systems in China? or How does student-run business work (suppose you are studying work- based learning activities)? or What is the procedure of policy-making?
- 9. Golden tips Use the most updated literature! Communicate with your committee when you encounter problems! Go back to your statement of purpose and remind yourself why you want to do this study when necessary! Reward yourself and have some fun during comps!
- 10. Thank you! If you have any questions, contact me [email protected]