Students must satisfy the writing requirement of their degree program as determined by individual programs subject to approval by the Graduate Council. Examples of experiences which may meet this requirement include: thesis, research paper, educational project, performance, and exhibition. Students should consult with individual program advisors for guidelines for meeting program requirements. All programs must follow a common set of procedures for approval and submission.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Graduate Studies maintains a website (Graduate Studies Resources) with useful links to guide the graduate student in grammar, style, evaluating web resources, and formats. The seminar paper/educational project advisor will provide guidance regarding the site. The site may be accessed through the University Karrmann Library at /library/reference/writers.html.

1. Checklist for Completion of the Masters Seminar paper/educational project

__In consultation with program advisor, the student proposes a seminar paper/educational project and a seminar paper/educational project advisor.

__Prepare a seminar paper/educational project proposal that includes the following:

• An approval page to be assigned by the paper/project advisor
• An introduction
• A statement of the problem
• Purpose of the study
• Hypothesis, if applicable
• Significance or implications of the study
• Assumptions necessary to undertake the study
• Delimitation of the study
• Method of approach including data sources, data gathering methods, and likely analyses
• General plan of the organization

__Approval (in writing) of the study by the Institutional Review Board for Human Subject Research before research is initiated, if necessary.

__Submit seminar paper/educational project proposal (with signed approval page and approval memo from Institutional Review Board for Human Subject Research) if necessary, to the School of Graduate Studies Office to be placed in the student's file.

__Register for "Seminar paper/Educational Project Research".

__Prepare the seminar paper/educational project with regular meetings with the seminar paper/educational project advisor

__Submit completed seminar paper/educational project to seminar paper/educational project advisor for review.

__Submit completed seminar paper/educational project (with signature), paper deposition form, an extra copy of the abstract and binding payment to the School of Graduate Studies. Each student should consult with their seminar paper/educational project advisor regarding requirements for additional copies. The seminar paper/educational project binding fee currently is $24.00/copy.

2. Paper Preparation

1. The paper should follow one of three adopted manuals: A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations by Katie L. Turabian; The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, or any style approved by the major department.
2. The library copy must be printed on one side of standard size (8 ½ x11") with high cotton content twenty pound bond paper.
3. A paper must be word processed with 12 point Times New Roman font utilized for the body of the paper
4. Margins: the left margin of each page must be two inches. The top, right, and bottom margins are one inch. Tables, figures, and appendix materials must fit the same margins.
5. A seminar paper/educational project proposal must follow the proposal approval page format - no page number (Appendix A)
6. A seminar paper/educational project approval page must follow the approval page format - no page number (Appendix B)
7. A seminar paper/educational project title page must follow the seminar paper/educational project title page format - no page number (Appendix C)
8. A seminar paper/educational project must include an abstract based on the University of Wisconsin approved format (Appendix D)
9. A seminar paper/educational project must include a table of contents (the chapters usually follow the elements in the appendix, but other formats are possible with the approval of the seminar paper/educational project advisor). (Appendix E)

3. General Suggestions

• There is no set length for seminar paper/educational project paper
• The student should demonstrate the ability to interpret data and show evidence of critical thinking in the evaluation of sources
• The author of the paper/project should develop the subject according to the principles of clear and effective composition. The author should organize the material in his/her paper/project on the basis of its relation to one central idea.
• Attention should be given to the expression of ideas with consideration for writing style, grammar, and guidelines to reduce bias in language. Bias in languages includes gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity, disabilities, and age. It is the student's responsibility to have the paper reviewed by a competent individual for writing conventions such as spelling, grammar, unity, clarity, coherence and emphasis.
• It is the student's responsibility to prepare the final draft.
• It is up to the student to be in accordance with his/her advisor regarding deadlines. Please provide the advisor adequate time to read and critique each draft of the paper/project. The advisor should allow the student time to make suggested changes.
• The student is advised to finish the paper/project as soon as possible even if he/she receives an "Incomplete" in seminar paper/educational project research for a semester.
• Please check with your advisor for additional requirements.

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  Appendix A

  Sample Seminar Paper/Educational Project Proposal Approval Page
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's proposal.)

  A SEMINAR PAPER/EDUCATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL WITH SUGGESTED METHODS OF RESEARCH

  The attached sample seminar paper/educational project proposal, by Student's Name, entitled Paper Title Should Be Entered Here, when completed, is to be submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science in Education degree, for which __ credits shall be allowed is hereby:

  Approved:	_____________________________	Date: _________________
  	Paper/Project Advisor

  Appendix A

  Seminar Paper/Educational Project Proposal Approval Page Blank Form
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's proposal.)

  The attached seminar paper/educational project proposal, by Student's Name, entitled Paper Title, when completed, is to be submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the (type either Master of Science of Master of Science in Education) degree, for which ___ credits shall be allowed is hereby:

  Approved:	_____________________________	Date: _________________
  	Paper/Project Advisor

  ---

  Appendix B

  Sample of Completed Seminar Paper/Educational Project Approval Page
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's completed seminar paper or educational project.)

  TYPE TITLE OF PAPER IN HERE

  Approved:	_____________________________	Date: _________________
  	Paper/Project Advisor

  Appendix B

  Seminar Paper/Educational Project Approval Page Blank Form
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's completed seminar paper or educational project.)

  Approved:	_____________________________	Date: _________________
  	Paper/Project Advisor

  ---

  Appendix C

  Sample of Completed Seminar Paper/Educational Project Title Page
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's completed seminar paper or educational project.)

  TYPE TITLE IN HERE . A (type either Seminar Paper or Educational Project - do not type both) Presented to The Graduate Faculty University of Wisconsin-Platteville . In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirement for the Degree (Type in degree to be received - example: Master of Science in Education) (Type in major - example: Counselor Education) . By Your Name Here Year of Graduation - example: 2000

  Appendix D

  Sample Seminar Paper/Educational Project Abstract
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's abstract.)

  AN EXAMINATION OF COUNSELOR'S PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN THEIR ROLE AS SCHOOL COUNSELOR Karen S. Steindorf Under the Supervision of Dr. James King Statement of the Problem Research shows us that there are no sufficient measures to determine the effectiveness of school counselors. As school counselor roles are questioned due to the multifaceted duties that are being given them, role confusion plays a part in the inability to sufficiently measure effectiveness. Another reason for insufficient measures is because the data we are attempting to measure is intangible. While statements can be made that indicate school counseling interventions have a positive impact on students educational and personal development, there is no piece of evidence to determine how and what actions specifically contributed to this result. Self-Efficacy Theory is one that attempts to explain how and why individuals organize and execute courses of action required to attain certain types of performances. The research problem exhibited in this study is to help identify sources of self-efficacy among counselors and find a relevant instrument to measure the effectiveness experienced by Wisconsin graduate students and practitioners. Methods and Procedures A survey, the Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) that was developed by a Michigan University Research Study, was used in a survey of Wisconsin School Counselors to determine their perception of their own effectiveness. An additional 7-items was added to the CSES and designed to determine the counselors belief system. The survey was distributed to graduate students and counselors at the 1998 annual Wisconsin School Counselor Association held in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Its purpose was to compare the results and determine if there were any significant differences between the self-efficacy of Wisconsin School Counselors and the Michigan norm group. It was also used to determine if self-efficacy levels of Wisconsin School Counselors vary significantly over years of experience. The data was collected, analyzed, and comparisons were made to the Michigan study to reveal the self-perceived effectiveness of Wisconsin Counselors in terms of self-efficacy. Summary of Results School Counselors in Wisconsin perceive themselves to have a high measure to self-efficacy. The results of this study also revealed that there was no significant difference between Wisconsin School Counselors and the Michigan norm group in terms of self-efficacy, despite some variances in tabulating the results between the two groups. The data did show, however, that self-efficacy among Wisconsin Counselors seems to diminish over time. Be reviewing the historical perspective of counseling, the counselor's role, and the value of self-efficacy, it is clear that school counselors are faced with an array of challenges. Program evaluation and counselor effectiveness evaluation is essential for the future of the program. It is clear from this study that more research needs to be done in learning how to measure the effectiveness of the counselor, in order to establish credibility and accountability for the profession.

  Appendix E

  Sample Seminar Paper/Educational Project Table of Contents
  (note: the above lines should not appear on the student's table of contents.)
  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Page
  APPROVAL PAGE	i
  TITLE PAGE	ii
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	iii
  ABSTRACT	iv
  TABLE OF CONTENTS	v
  LIST OF TABLES	vi
  CHAPTER
  I. INTRODUCTION	1
  Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Significance of the Study Assumptions Delimitation of the Study Methodology
  II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE	6
  The Role of the Counselor Program Evaluation Counselor Effectiveness Research
  III. SURVEY METHODOLOGY	23
  Procedures Participants Instrumentation
  IV. ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY DATA	28
  Comparison of the Michigan Study with Wisconsin Counselors Differential Years of Practice Constraint Effects
  V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS	33
  Summary Conclusions Recommendations
  REFERENCES	42
  APPENDIX A	45

  Updated 2/11/04