AP Capstone Program Handout effective Fall 2020

Inquiry Proposal Form

1. State your research question and/or project goal.

2. Describe three key studies that have informed your understanding of the scholarly
conversation surrounding your topic.

3. Identify the gap addressed by your proposed research, and explain how the gap
is situated into the scholarly conversation. Provide sources to justify the gap your
proposed research is addressing.

4. Describe your chosen or developed research method and defend its alignment with your
research question.

5. Identify additional approval processes (check all that apply):

Human subjects [requires additional IRB review and approval if student wants to publish and/
or publicly present]
Animal subjects [requires additional review or approval by school or district processes]
Harmful microorganisms [requires additional review or approval by school or district
processes]
Hazardous materials [requires additional review or approval by school or district processes]
No additional review or approvals required
6. Explain how your proposed method complies with ethical research practices.

7. Describe the data or additional scholarly work that will be generated to answer your
proposed research question or achieve your project goal.

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8. Describe the way you will analyze the data or additional scholarly work generated by
your method and justify its alignment with your research question or project goal.

9. List any equipment, resources, and permissions needed to collect data or information.
Attach the initial drafts that apply to your proposal if engaged in human subject research:
informed consent forms; surveys, interview questions, questionnaires, or other data
gathering forms; or letters/flyers that will be distributed to study subjects.

10. Describe the anticipated logistical and personnel challenges for your research project
(to collect and analyze data or to pursue research methods appropriate to a paper that
supports a performance/exhibit/product).

11. Provide a brief timeline that outlines your process from now through project completion.

12. Discuss the anticipated value and/or broader implications of your research project.

Teacher’s feedback:

Teacher’s Approval (signature):

AP Research Course and Exam Description 55

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AP Capstone Program Handout effective Fall 2020

AP Research Performance
Task: Academic Paper
and Presentation and
Oral Defense

Task Overview
In AP Research, you will further the skills you acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning
research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and
synthesizing information as you address a research question/project goal. To that end, you will
develop a research question/project goal on a topic of your choosing in an area of personal
interest. You will submit an inquiry proposal (see Inquiry Proposal Form, pp. 54-55) for the
teacher’s feedback to help you refine your research question/project goal/method and ultimately
approve your proposal prior to you engaging in the work.

With assistance from the teacher, you may identify one or more expert adviser(s) — internal or
external to the school — to serve as an additional resource. These individuals should be experts
in the chosen discipline or field that you are investigating or in the research method that you
choose to employ.

Under the teacher’s guidance — and using the expert advisers’ knowledge base as needed —
you will design or choose a method to collect data and information and then analyze, evaluate,
and select relevant and credible evidence to develop a logical, well-reasoned argument or
aesthetic rationale (directly addressing your research question/project goal) that results in an
academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words.

In addition to completing your research paper, you will:

§§ arrange for a viewing of additional scholarly work (where applicable)

§§ deliver a presentation (using appropriate media)
§§ defend your research design, approach, and findings to an oral defense panel

Task Directions (Proposal Process, Academic Paper,

Presentation and Oral Defense)
1. Question, Proposal, and Research
›› Identify a research question/project goal of your own choosing in an area of personal
interest.
›› Gather initial information for background and context on your research question/ project goal
and area of personal interest.
›› Choose or design a research method and identify resources to develop your research
proposal.
›› Submit a proposal form to receive approval prior to starting your inquiry.

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›› Be prepared to obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval if engaging in research

involving human subjects when required.
›› Gather additional information, data, and evidence through a carefully chosen and aligned
research method.
›› Describe what you hope to learn, achieve, and/or create as a result of your inquiry.
With your teacher’s assistance, connect with one or more discipline-specific expert advisers
(internal or external to the school) to advise you through the development of your inquiry
processes (if your inquiry warrants the use of a field expert or discipline-specific expert adviser).

Maintain a portfolio of your inquiry processes, your communication with your teacher and expert
adviser(s), and reflections on your thought processes and any successes and challenges you
encounter.

2. Academic Paper (75% of the AP Research score)

›› Analyze, evaluate, and select evidence to develop a logical, well-reasoned argument
or aesthetic rationale and conclusion in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words that
addresses the research question/project goal and conveys your perspective and new
understanding as a result of engaging in your research process.
›› You must avoid plagiarism by acknowledging, attributing, and/or citing sources throughout
the paper and by including a bibliography. Throughout the year and prior to submission,
teachers and you should constantly check work for plagiarism.
›› Students must also observe ethical practices when gathering information through means
such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups, and be prepared to sign agreements with
individuals, institutions, or organizations that provide primary and private data.
›› The body of the academic paper must contain the elements listed in the following table.
These elements should be presented in a style and structure appropriate to the discipline in
which the topic resides (e.g., psychology, science, music).
›› Graphs, figures, data tables, images, appendices, abstract, footnoted citations, and the
bibliography are not part of the total word count for the academic paper. Word count does
include titles, sub-headings, and in-text citations.
›› Abstracts, if included, are not considered part of the body of the academic paper and are not
assessed. The academic paper must be written for an educated, non-expert audience.
›› Once your paper is completed, remove any references to your name, school, and teacher,
and upload your document to the AP Digital Portfolio as directed by your teacher.

Required Element Description

Introduction and Introduces research question/project goal and reviews previous work in
Literature Review the field.

Synthesizes the varying perspectives in the scholarly literature to situate

the research question/project goal within a gap in the current field of
knowledge.

Method, Process, or Explains and provides justification for the chosen method, process, or
Approach approach and its alignment with the research question.

Results, Product, or Presents the findings, evidence, results, or performance/exhibit/product

Findings generated by the research method.

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Required Element Description

Discussion, Analysis, Interprets the significance of the results, performance/exhibit/product, or

and/or Evaluation findings; explores connections to original research question/project goal.

Conclusion and Future Articulates the new understanding generated through the research process
Directions and the limitations of the conclusion or creative work.

Discusses the implications to the community of practice.

Identifies areas for future research.

Bibliography Provides a complete list of sources cited and consulted in the appropriate
disciplinary style.

Presentation and Oral Defense (25% of the AP Research score)

Upon completion of your Academic Paper, you will develop a 15–20 minute presentation
(using appropriate media) and deliver it to an oral defense panel of three evaluators. Like the
academic paper, the presentation provides an opportunity for you to showcase your research
by communicating effectively and succinctly to an audience of educated, non-experts. If your
academic paper is accompanied by an additional piece of scholarly work (e.g., performance,
exhibit, product), you must arrange for the teacher and panelists to view this work prior to the
presentation and oral defense. Your oral presentation should be no longer than 15 minutes to
ensure at least 5 minutes for your oral defense.

The presentation should distill your research by:

›› Identifying your research question/project goal
›› describing and explaining initial assumptions and hypotheses/ideas and their relation to the
your personal conclusion
›› providing the rationale for choices made during the research process (cite or attribute
sources or evidence as needed)
›› explaining the research process/method, evidence generated, conclusions, and implications
›› engaging the audience through a dynamic use of design, delivery, and performance
techniques
›› using a medium and design specifically tailored to engage your audience and illustrate
your points
Following the presentation, an oral defense panel will ask three questions of the student.
The panel will consist of the AP Research teacher and two additional adult panel members
(preferably expert advisers or discipline-specific experts) chosen by the AP Research
teacher. This evaluative component is designed to assess your articulation of the inquiry
process, understanding of your results and conclusions, and reflection on your research
experience.

Three of these questions will be chosen from the following oral defense question list. The
oral defense panel will ask one question pertaining to your research or inquiry process, one
question focused on your depth of understanding, and one question about your reflection
throughout the inquiry process as evidenced in your process and reflection portfolio (PREP).
The wording of the questions may be tailored to your specific project. In addition, a fourth
question is permitted if a panel member wants you to clarify one of your answers to a
previous question. Any additional questions beyond the fourth question are at the discretion
of the teacher but will not be used in scoring the oral defense.

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AP Capstone Program Handout effective Fall 2020

Oral Defense Questions

Research/Inquiry Process [choices made throughout the research process]

1. How did your initial exploration of the scholarly conversation lead to your final research
question/project goal?
2. How did your review of the methods used by scholars in the field inform your selection of a
research method/process that is aligned with your research question/project goal?
3. How did the choices you made when designing or implementing your research method
impact your research process?
4. How did you determine which results generated by your research method were most
important in informing your new understanding?
Depth of Understanding [relating student data/results to the new understanding]

1. How does your new understanding address a gap in the scholarly conversation?
2. How did the limitations of your method or data influence your new understanding?
3. What are the real-world implications or consequences related to your findings?
4. How do your findings provide directions for future research in the field?
Reflection Throughout the Inquiry Process [how the inquiry process informs growth and self-
awareness as a researcher]

1. Think back to the initial curiosity that sparked your inquiry. What other curiosities do you have
and how has this process prepared you to explore them?
2. How did you handle the uncertainty of the research process?
3. If you could revisit your research process, what would you do differently and why?
4. What was the most important research skill you developed as a result of this process, and
how might you apply it to your future endeavors?
5. How did your expert adviser facilitate your deeper understanding of the research process?
Note: This question should only be asked if the student engaged with an expert adviser.

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