Applied doctorates like the DNP and EdD ask a different question than a traditional research dissertation: not "what new knowledge does this generate," but "what measurable change did this practice intervention produce." That shift affects every chapter, not just the methodology.
| Traditional Dissertation | DNP / EdD Capstone | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Generate new theoretical knowledge | Apply existing evidence to solve a practice problem |
| Outcome measured | Statistical or thematic findings | Practice or process change, often pre/post metrics |
| Framework | Theoretical or conceptual | Often a specific practice-change model (e.g. PDSA, Lewin's Change Model) |
| Final product | Written dissertation only | Often includes an implementation plan and dissemination component |
Your evaluation plan needs baseline data before you intervene, not just after. Many capstone projects weaken their own outcome claims by failing to establish a clear pre-intervention baseline — without it, you can't credibly show the intervention caused the change you're reporting.
Evidence review, implementation plan, and outcome evaluation — structured for an applied doctorate.
Often yes, though some quality-improvement projects qualify for an expedited or exempt review depending on your institution's classification. Check with your IRB early, since classification affects your whole timeline.
Yes — we work with common frameworks like Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA), Lewin's Change Model, the Iowa Model, and Kotter's framework, applying whichever your program or project setting calls for.
Often basic descriptive and comparative statistics are sufficient (e.g. comparing pre/post metrics), though some projects need more advanced analysis. We scale the statistical approach to what your specific outcome measures require.