AP Capstone Research

Teacher Voice

AP Research, the second course in the AP Capstone experience, allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000-5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product where applicable) and a presentation with an oral defense.

Student Voice

Thank you again for your constant willingness to support my research journey! - Mary N.

Thank you for allowing us to truly stretch our limits and go beyond our comfort zones to learn invaluable life lessons. Everything we talked about in our class will carry on with me throughout college as a guiding light to how to conduct research, write papers, analyze what I am reading, presentations, and everything we learned. - Arian A.

What happens in class?

Develop and apply discrete skills identified in the learning objectives of the enduring understandings (the QUEST instructional framework) within the following five big ideas:

Question and Explore

Understand and Analyze

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

Synthesize Ideas

Team, Transform, and Transmit

Develop an understanding of ethical research practices and the AP Capstone Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information.

Independently (and while possibly consulting any expert advisors), students learn and employ research and inquiry methods to develop, manage, and conduct an in-depth investigation of an area of personal interest, culminating in an academic paper of 4,000-5,000 words.

Report abuse