Student Research Project
(Research Director: David Carpenter, RPT)
In addition to the regular course curriculum, each student is required to complete a research project. The topic of research will be the student’s own choosing from any area of piano technology, materials, techniques, tools or practice that extends or is outside of the material in the CSPT coursework. The research project may be any combination of a written paper, experiments, demonstrations or construction. Students should consider the research project to be for their benefit and enjoyment in developing research techniques as well as reflecting some personal inclination in the field of piano technology.
Students will also be required to explore basic research project design as they begin the process of picking a topic; this includes such things as focused research questions, structured hypotheses, and control of variables. The Research Director and faculty will assist you.
Research Project Deliverables
Work on your project will extend for the entire year. Portions of the project will be due in four deliverables (see schedule below).
You will turn in all your work to the Research Director who will serve as your advisor and offer assistance as needed on your project. Because each student’s project is unique, the Research Director will provide you (in writing) guidelines and requirements for each item to be turned in. After review, the Research Director will either accept each deliverable as-is or ask for revisions. If revisions are required, they are due one week thereafter.
If you are ever unsure of your topic, need any advice on how to approach your project, or have any questions or problems whatsoever, please contact the Research Director immediately to ensure an on-time completion of each deliverable. No last-minute changes in your topic or project approach will be accepted.
Research Project Proposal Due: Quarter 2 Week 1
During the first quarter and subsequent break, you will select a suitable research topic and write a brief topic proposal. The proposal will include a statement of the question or goal and an overview of your planned approach to completing the project.
Project Status Report Due: Quarter 3 Week 5
You will complete the first half of your project during the second quarter and a half and write a status report that lists your progress. The report will include a list of the references you have consulted, the results of any experiments that have been performed, the progress on any models you have constructed, and any conclusions you have drawn or new questions that have surfaced.
Draft Project Report Due: Quarter 4 Week 5
You will complete the second half of your project during the remainder of the third quarter and first half of the fourth. Four weeks before your presentation your project should be substantially complete. At this time you will turn in a draft of your project report for final review.
Final Project Presentation Due: Quarter 4 Week 10
You will present your project to the faculty and assembled students during the final week of classes. The presentation may include any combination of lecture, discussion or demonstration. Participant handouts are encouraged, and your final written report is to be turned in on the day of your presentation.
