Bowie State University requires all graduate students to complete an advanced research paper. In Europe, this requirement serves as a capstone to the students' programs of study. As such, it is designed to assist students in all degree programs to move beyond the classroom by consulting with experts from their chosen professions and engaging in professional activities. Students are encouraged to participate in the professional associations most likely to either disseminate or publish the results of their advanced research projects. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs faculty and staff refer to these projects as Professional Papers.

Definition of a Professional Paper 

• A Professional Paper is based on research conducted solely by the author. Examples include, but are not limited to:
  1. Academic, professional, or trade journal articles,
  2. Case studies,
  3. Policy analyses, policy proposals, project management reviews, and program evaluations,
  4. Pre-procurement or pre-implementation analyses of new technologies or best practices,
  5. Grant proposals.
• The length, style, and format of the final draft of any Professional Paper are defined largely by the nature of the audience and the standards employed in that particular segment of the profession. Audiences and venues for publication and dissemination of final drafts may include but are not limited to:
  1. The readership of academic, professional, or trade journals, including online journals,
  2. Conferences conducted and organized by professional associations such as ACA or EB-ACA, ASPA, ICMA, AOM, ACM, AITP,
  3. Political institutions (Congress, state legislatures, regulatory boards, city councils, school boards, state mental health boards, etc.),
  4. Management teams (government and non-profit agency directors, boards of directors, CEOs and CIOs, schools principals, etc.), and
  5. Funding organizations (National Science Foundation, National Institutes for Health, National Institute for Mental Health, Rand Institute, Hoover Institute, etc.).
• Any Professional Paper written for UMUC Europe Graduate Programs, regardless of audience, length, style, or format, uses the APA citation style and reference style.

1. Identify a relevant research question and developing a strategy to answer that question (see the Professional Paper web site for examples of final papers submitted in an equivalent course INSS690 http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~meinkej/inss690/i690home.htm.
2. Identify the audience most interested in the question (examples listed above).
3. Identify literature and other sources of expert information on the question.
4. Present the research question, the research design, the target audience, and a broad outline of the final paper (called The Proposal) to peers and instructor.
5. Obtain permission from UMUC officials to use human subjects if the research design warrants
6. Obtain written permission from the management of the organization(s) involved with the research. Examples include, but are not limited to, military units, government contractors, DODDs schools, and restricted websites.
7. Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the proposal as appropriate.
8. Execute the research design.
9. Write the Professional Paper that clearly and accurately reports the research findings in a format that meets the needs of the audience.
10. Present a draft of the Professional Paper to peers and instructor.
11. Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the final draft as appropriate.
12. Submit the final draft to the target audience.

1. Initiate and complete each of the critical tasks in a timely manner,
2. Be the sole executor of the research design and author of the Professional Paper,
3. Cite all sources of expert information according to the APA style guide,
4. Present and defend the proposal, progress reports, working drafts, and the final draft in a timely manner,
5. Engage in discussions with the classroom instructor and graduate student peers in a professional manner,
6. Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the proposal, the research design, the literature review, the report of findings, the discussion, and the recommendations,
7. Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the length, style, and format of the Professional Paper, and 
8. Provide Graduate Programs with an electronic copy of the final draft of the Professional Paper.

• the purpose of the research, research questions, and preliminary thesis;
  
• the boundaries of the research area;
  
• an outline of the research sub-topics;
  
• the methodology used, i.e. literature or field research;
  
• a preliminary reading list.