Advisor Role

Role of Expert Advisers

Expert advisors represent a resource for teachers and students in a variety of areas (i.e. expertise in specific disciplines, fields, or methods.)

Expert advisers

• when asked, should ask questions and provide feedback and guidance to students regarding their choice of research questions/project goals, data-or information-collection methods, and analysis strategies

• may hold individual work-in-progress interviews* with students to discuss the progress of their papers or presentations, explore issues and/or discuss topics and perspectives, and question students as necessary

• may provide necessary background for a topic—including suggesting possible resources—so that students are not disadvantaged in their exploration

• may help students with the mechanics of the research process (e.g., strategizing to find answers to questions or helping them understand how to access resources)

• may provide general feedback to students about elements of their papers or presentations that need improvement

• may vary in number, according to the needs of the paper or presentation

Expert advisers may NOT

• generate research questions/project goals for students 

• conduct or provide research, articles, or evidence for students

• write, revise, amend, or correct student work 

• provide or identify the exact questions a student will be asked prior to his or her defense (i.e., students should be prepared to answer every one of the oral defense questions) 

• provide unsolicited help (i.e., students must initiate conversations that call for expert adviser feedback, such as asking a question to which the expert adviser can then respond)

Expert advisers may be drawn from

• the faculty 

• the community 

• local or nonlocal businesses and industries 

• higher education institutions

*if the advisor is from outside of TAS they must communicate via email and the AP Research instructor must be CC’d on all correspondence

AP Research Timeline

Note: ​Students will maintain a Process and Reflection Portfolio throughout the entirety of

their projects.

August-November: Students will explore an area of interest with the intent to develop a research question. They will complete an extensive annotated bibliography and then develop and revise a Problem Statement and formal Inquiry Proposal.

1st week of November: Final Inquiry Proposal must be submitted.  

December-February: Students carry out their research project and begin drafting sections of their paper. During this time, students will communicate with discipline-specific expert advisors on an as-needed basis.

March: Students conclude their research and write a complete draft of their papers. These include the following elements: introduction, literature review, methods, products/findings/results, analysis/discussion, conclusion/future directions, and references.

March 24th: Draft of Paper is submitted.

April: Students have until April 21st to prepare their Presentation and Oral Defense; presentations will take place from April 21st-25th. A committee of at least three panelists will view the presentation, possibly including their expert adviser.