1. PSY 618: Module Nine Short Paper Rubric
Prompt: What type of specific follow-up is needed to ensure the
proposed changes are being effectively implemented at the case
study organization? How will you conclude your report to your
client? Will your recommendations for follow-up include formal
assessment measures? If so, what are they? If not, why not?
Format: The short paper should follow these formatting
guidelines: 2–4 pages in length, double spacing, 12-point Times
New Roman font, one-inch margins, and citations in APA
format.
Critical Elements
Exemplary
Proficient
Needs Improvement
Not Evident
Value
Follow-Up
Meets “Proficient” criteria and substantiates the chosen follow-
up procedures with examples from scholarly research
(27-30)
Identifies the type of follow-up needed to ensure effective
implementation of proposed changes
(24-26)
The type of follow-up identified is not effective for the
proposed changes
(21-23)
Does not identify the type of follow-up needed to ensure
effective implementation of proposed changes
(0-20)
30
Client Report

2. Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes specific examples
relevant to the report
(27-30)
Describes how the report will be concluded for the client
(24-26)
Description of how the report will be concluded is lacking in
detail
(21-23)
Does not describe how the report will be concluded for the
client
(0-20)
30
Formal Assessment
Meets “Proficient” criteria and supports explanation with
evidence from scholarly research
(27-30)
Argues whether formal assessment measures will be included
(24-26)
Argument of whether formal assessment measures will be
included does not reach a logical conclusion
(21-23)
Does not argue whether formal assessment measures will be
included
(0-20)
30
Articulation of Response
Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a
professional and easy-to-read format
(9-10)
Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar,

3. spelling, syntax, or organization
(8)
Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact
readability and articulation of main ideas
(7)
Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of
ideas
(0-6)
10
Earned Total
Comments:
100 %
PSY 790 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
As the final step in your journey toward your master of science
degree in psychology, you will complete a capstone project that
integrates the knowledge and
skills you have developed in previous coursework and over the
duration of the term by creating a research concept paper and
professional presentation that will
be developed for an identified target audience. You will also
reflect on your journey through the psychology program and
how you plan to position yourself
professionally. The capstone project is divided into three
milestones, which will be submitted at various points
throughout the course to scaffold to the final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules

4. Two, Four, and Six. The final capstone project will be
submitted in Module Nine.
This capstone will be assessed somewhat differently than other
courses you have taken online at SNHU. There are three
separate components of the project, but
they all operate together to make up the whole capstone
experience and are not assessed separately. You will be
evaluated on all three components as a unit in
determining whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each
outcome. Your instructor will guide you through this process,
keeping a running narrative of
your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the course
outcomes as you progress through the class. Your work is
expected to meet the highest professional
standards.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the
following course outcomes:
in promoting agency and the psychological well-being of
individuals, communities, and
organizations
nds and ill-structured problems by
critically evaluating the relevance, priority, and appropriateness
of various information and
potential courses of action
potential to advance knowledge in psychology as well as the
psychological well-being of
individuals, communities, and organizations

5. generate new knowledge and promote agency and the
psychological well-being of individuals,
communities, and organizations
collaboration and diversity of perspectives into efforts to
promote agency and the psychological
well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations
rotect the integrity and professional responsibility of
psychology through the demonstration of ethical comportment
in all aspects of the profession
Prompt
For the capstone project, you will first develop a research
concept paper that introduces your topic, research question,
literature review, research methodology,
and ethical considerations. You will also submit a presentation
that should be developed for your identified target audience, as
well as a personal and
professional reflection.
Capstone Component 1: Research Proposal
For the first of three capstone components, you will develop a
well-organized research concept paper that lays the foundation
for a solid plan to implement
research. First, you must choose a relevant problem that aligns
with your focus within the field of psychology and with how
you plan to position yourself

6. professionally. You can choose a problem that has a gap in our
understanding and then provide an explanation of psychological
phenomena and variables. Or you
can choose an applied problem that directly involves the
psychological well-being of individuals, communities, or
organizations.
The following sections should be included:
1. Introduction/Problem. This should describe the problem
(which may be a research problem or an applied problem), the
purpose of the research, and
the significance of the research. If your research topic is related
to a gap in knowledge, you should clarify what is known and
where the conflict or gap in
knowledge exists. If you choose an applied problem, identify
the issue to be addressed and include an accurate and detailed
overview of the issue. In
general, include all information that you think is necessary to
establish a comprehensive analysis and foundation for
understanding your chosen research
topic, including a theoretical framework or the theory that is
guiding your proposal.
This section should address your research question(s). Consider
the following questions: What is the purpose of the proposed
research? How does the
purpose reasonably fit within the research problem? Further,
what are the assumptions and potential limitations associated
with the identified problem
or gap in knowledge or applied problem?
This section should also discuss your target audience, such as
academics, mental health professionals, organizations, and so
on. (This may be a broad

7. audience for research that is oriented toward contributing to
theory or a specific organization or community for research that
is focused on addressing
applied problems and interventions.) Discuss your target
audience in relation to this proposal and why your research
would be relevant for this
audience. For example, in what way would your research help
address how we understand a phenomenon or help an
organization address a critical
problem?
Your target audience will depend on your area of study. For
example, for students on a general track in this degree program,
your research concept
paper might center on researching a general issue in the area of
psychology. If you have a concentration in child and
developmental psychology, your
proposed research must focus on a specific psychological need
or issue surrounding children, adolescents, and/or teens. If you
have a concentration in
industrial and organizational psychology, your proposed
research must focus on factors contributing to the advancement
of an organization’s
performance through application of psychology.
2. Literature Review. This section is an analysis of the scholarly
debate on the theory and research related to your research
question. The literature review
should not be a collection of summaries. Rather, it should be
organized according to the message you want to convey and
appropriately synthesize the

8. literature into your message. This suggests that you will draw
from multiple sources in order to best communicate your points.
Organize your review so
that it provides a logical argument for the background of your
proposed research and how your research fits into the big
picture.
3. Research Design. This should include a detailed plan to
collect and analyze data, as well as highlight the types of
sources you would use. You may choose
a qualitative or quantitative approach. However, your choice of
method, design, sampling, data collection, analysis, and overall
process should be
justified and logically fit with your research question(s).
Proposals that involve implementation of interventions will
have a program evaluation
component that must include research design.
This section will also require you to discuss the reliability and
validity of your measurements. Finally, you should consider
how you will operationalize or
measure the main concepts/variables you are researching and
include a description of your data sources.
4. Ethical Considerations. This should include a thorough
explanation of the ethical considerations related to the topic and
to your proposed study. Your
explanation should address the ethical ramifications of the
problem, the population under study, the data-collection
instruments and their analysis, and
so on. This section should incorporate peer-reviewed literature
as well as relevant codes of conduct (i.e., the American
Psychological Association).

9. 5. Conclusion. In this final section of the text, you will
summarize your study and explain why your proposed research
is significant, highlighting the
practical implications of your potential findings for your target
audience(s). This section should also include an analysis of
your research’s potential
contribution to the field of psychology.
Guidelines for Submission: Your research concept paper should
be 15–20 pages long and should follow American Psychological
Association (APA) style. It should
include a title page, a table of contents, references, and (if
applicable) appendices. In the “real world,” there are usually no
page-length requirements, so the
given page range is a suggestion, and you should use your
professional judgment regarding the length of your paper. You
may include illustrations, photographs,
graphs, charts, and other non-textual materials as needed to
support your research concept, but please be sure to format all
of these in APA style. Refer to the
module resources and the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, sixth edition (required in previous
courses) for guidance in APA style
formatting.
Capstone Component 2: Presentation
For this component, you will develop a presentation that
articulates a convincing need for the proposal you have
developed. The presentation should be

10. engaging and appealing to your target audience(s). You should
envision yourself giving this presentation before your target
audience(s). This could be, for
example, a boss, fellow scholars at a conference, or a grant
provider.
This is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of
the problem you have identified and the need to conduct
research or implement and evaluate an
intervention. Remember that you are seeking support of the
proposal, so knowing your audience and tailoring your message
to them is crucial.
Since you will not actually deliver this presentation in person,
you must create a self-sustaining presentation. A narrated
presentation is strongly suggested. The
presentation should adhere to the principles of an effective
presentation, and all of your sources should be cited properly.
There is no minimum or maximum
number of slides required. You should use your judgment to
create a presentation of appropriate length that will convey all
of the necessary information while
keeping the attention of your audience.
Capstone Component 3: Professional Reflection
For the final component of your capstone, you will write a
three- to five-page paper in which you discuss the process and
outcomes of this project, the
experience of giving and receiving feedback from peers, and
how you incorporated feedback from your instructor. You will
also touch briefly on how your
coursework culminated in the capstone project and what you can
take from this project into your workplace. This may include
discussions of unforeseen
problems or obstacles and any surprises. The paper should also

11. discuss your identified strengths and problems that you
encountered while completing the
project. Finally, the paper will examine how the capstone
project will be useful in the job market or in furthering your
education.
Some of the issues that you could address in this final
component of this capstone may include:
the significance of the capstone in relation to your
own experience at SNHU.
academic program?
academic and/or professional life?
What is your take on the value and role of psychology in the
incorporation of empathy, reflectivity, and an appreciation for
collaboration and diversity of
perspectives?
Milestones
Milestone One: Resource Collection
In Module Two, you will collect potential peer-reviewed
resources for your proposal. Summarize the literature in a three-
to five-page paper. Discuss how each

12. resource relates to your research questions or intervention you
have chosen. In this paper, you may summarize each article in
preparation for the synthesis you
will do as part of Milestone Two. This milestone will be graded
with the Milestone One Rubric. If you have any questions after
reading the feedback for this
submission, reach out to your instructor. Remember that your
instructor is a resource you should utilize throughout the
course.
Milestone Two: Literature Review
In Module Four, you will provide a five- to seven-page paper
integrating your review of the existing research and theory and
tying it to your fully developed
topic. You should have incorporated feedback to revise your
research questions and support for the basic or applied study.
This literature review should focus on
relating the existing theory and research to your project. The
literature review is not just a summary of research articles. This
milestone will be graded with the
Milestone Two Rubric. If you have any questions after reading
the feedback for this submission, reach out to your instructor.
Remember that your instructor is a
resource you should utilize throughout the course.
Milestone Three: Methodology, Design, and Data
In Module Six, you will revise your chosen methodology,
design, and data-collection tools as needed. Also, define the
process from the selection of participants
(and stakeholders as applicable) through data collection to data
analysis, including any limitations, delimiters, and assumptions.
Include all ethical
considerations. Paint a picture of the entire process to show how
you will conduct the study. This milestone will be graded with
the Milestone Three Rubric. If
you have any questions after reading the feedback for this

13. submission, reach out to your instructor. Remember that your
instructor is a resource you should
utilize throughout the course.
Capstone Project Submission: Research Proposal, Presentation,
and Professional Reflection
In Module Nine, you will submit your full capstone project. It
should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the
critical elements of the final product. It
should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout
the course. This submission will be evaluated with the Final
Project Rubric.
Final Project Rubric
This rubric will be applied to all three components as a whole,
and no component will be assessed on its own. The “Possible
Indicators of Success” are examples
for you and the instructor of the types of concepts to look for to
demonstrate proficiency. They are neither exhaustive nor
proscriptive and should be used as
guides for illustrating how your capstone embodies the
outcome. All outcomes are weighted equally.
Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in
Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade
Center. For more information,
review these instructions.
PSY-790-01: Advocate for and extend psychology’s role and
responsibility in promoting agency and the psychological well-

14. being of individuals, communities, and organizations
Proficient
100%
Not Proficient
0%
Possible Indicators of Success
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
relevant issues within his or her area of specialization?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to
effectively communicate a need or gap related to well-being?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to
persuasively connect possible solutions to the well-being of
individuals, communities, and organizations?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
the implications of a specific issue in relation to the
psychological well-being of individuals,
communities, and organizations or of a gap in our understanding
of psychological phenomena?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
key stakeholders and/or users from relevant individuals,
communities, and organizations?
PSY-790-02: Adapt to shifting demands and ill-structured
problems by critically evaluating the relevance, priority, and
appropriateness of various information and potential courses of
action
Proficient

15. 100%
Not Proficient
0%
Possible Indicators of Success
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to
persuasively argue for addressing a specific problem or gap in
knowledge?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to select
relevant and appropriate resources to guide efforts in addressing
a specific problem or gap?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to critically
assess and evaluate the extent to which the potential data are
valid and reliable?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
limitations, assumptions, and biases associated with the
identified problem or gap in knowledge?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to
persuasively argue for addressing a specific problem or gap in
knowledge?
PSY-790-03: Design, conduct, and evaluate research through
the lens of its potential to advance knowledge in psychology as
well as the psychological well-being of individuals,
communities, and organizations
Proficient
100%
Not Proficient

16. 0%
Possible Indicators of Success
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to develop
informed research questions that have direct applications for
promoting the psychological well-
being of individuals, communities, or organizations?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to evaluate
and synthesize existing research for the purpose of advancing
knowledge in psychology?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
limitations, assumptions, and ethical considerations in existing
research and the impact of that on
the student’s project?
http://snhu-
media.snhu.edu/files/production_documentation/formatting/caps
tone_rubric_feedback_instructions_student.pdf
PSY-790-04: Integrate psychological theories, methods, and
research to generate new knowledge and promote agency and
the psychological well-being of individuals, communities, and
organizations
Proficient
100%
Not Proficient
0%
Possible Indicators of Success

17. Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to assess an
issue or gap in knowledge by critically evaluating the relevance,
priority, and appropriateness of
various explanations, related information, and possible courses
of action?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
and integrate relevant theories to generate new knowledge or
promote agency and psychological
well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to select
appropriate research methods, designs, data-collection tools,
and data-analysis tools?
PSY-790-05: Incorporate empathy, reflectivity, and an
appreciation for collaboration and diversity of perspectives into
efforts
to promote agency and the psychological well-being of
individuals, communities, and organizations
Proficient
100%
Not Proficient
0%
Possible Indicators of Success
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to offer a
perspective to others in a manner that demonstrates empathy
and appreciation for others’ views?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to critically
reflect on and integrate the work of others (including instructor

18. and peer feedback and published
material)?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to
incorporate diverse perspectives?
PSY-790-06: Protect the integrity and professional
responsibility of psychology through the demonstration of
ethical
comportment in all aspects of the profession
Proficient
100%
Not Proficient
0%
Possible Indicators of Success
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to assess
research plans for their ethical ramifications and make resulting
adjustments that maintain the
integrity of the investigation and protect the psychological well-
being of others?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
ethical ramifications and needs in others’ work?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to connect
ethical adjustments and mitigation efforts with appropriate
ethical guidelines?
Does the capstone demonstrate the student’s ability to identify
the ethical considerations associated with the individuals,
communities, and organizations most
likely to be affected by the identified gap or problem?