Answered By: Randy Miller
Last Updated: Nov 18, 2025     Views: 4

Dissertation vs. Applied Doctoral Research Project (ADRP/Capstone/Dissertation in Praxis)

The statements presented here are broad, generally applicable principles that may vary across different academic disciplines. Check with your department for the specific requirements for your degree.

Doctoral candidates at Liberty University typically complete either a traditional Ph.D. dissertation or an applied doctoral research project (which may be termed a capstone, ADRP, or dissertation in praxis depending on the program). While both represent the highest level of academic writing, they serve different purposes, follow distinct methodologies, and meet different programmatic expectations.

1. Program Types and Project Requirements

  • Traditional Dissertation (Ph.D. Programs)
    • Required in Liberty’s Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs such as:
      • Ph.D. in Education
      • Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics
      • Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
      • Ph.D. in Criminal Justice
      • Other research-oriented Ph.D. degrees
  • Applied Doctoral Research Project (Capstone/ADRP/Dissertation in Praxis)
    • Required in Liberty’s Professional Doctorates, such as:
      • Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
      • Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL)
      • Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
      • Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) (there is a thesis option and a micro-project option)
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
      • Doctor of Public Administration (DPA)
      • Other practice-focused doctoral degrees

2. Purpose and Focus

  • Dissertation (Ph.D.)
    • Seeks to contribute new knowledge to the scholarly community.
    • Requires identification of a gap in the literature and aims to advance theory or academic understanding.
    • Research questions are generalizable beyond a single institution or site.
  • Applied Doctoral Project (ADRP/Capstone/Dissertation in Praxis)
    • Designed to solve a local or site-specific problem within a professional context.
    • Focuses on application of existing theory to practice.
    • Produces recommendations, models, or interventions that can be directly implemented in a specific setting.

3. Audience and Contribution

  • Dissertation (Ph.D.)
    • Audience: Scholars, researchers, and academics.
    • Contribution: Expands theoretical knowledge and advances academic discourse.
  • Applied Project
    • Audience: Practitioners, administrators, and stakeholders at the research site.
    • Contribution: Provides practical solutions to professional problems.

4. Research Requirements

  • Dissertation
    • Must demonstrate a mastery of research methodology (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods).
    • Emphasizes rigor, generalizability, and validity.
    • Requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, as results are considered human subjects research.
    • Final product is published in Scholars Crossing, Liberty’s institutional repository, making it available to the broader academic community.
  • Applied Project
    • Employs action research, program evaluation, case study, or other applied designs.
    • Focuses on local implementation and outcomes, not generalizability.
    • IRB approval may be required only if human subjects are involved, but in many cases projects are considered quality improvement or program evaluation, not generalizable research.
    • Final product is typically not published in Scholars Crossing and remains internal to Liberty and the sponsoring site/program.

5. Structure and Format

  • Dissertation (Ph.D.)
    • Five traditional chapters:
      1. Introduction and problem statement
      2. Literature review (extensive, identifying gaps)
      3. Methodology (rigorous design for generalizable results)
      4. Findings
      5. Discussion and implications for theory
    • Emphasis: Scholarly voice, theoretical contribution, alignment with existing research.
  • Applied Project
    • Often follows a problem-solving model:
      1. Identification of the problem of practice at a specific site
      2. Review of literature (focused on solutions and models)
      3. Methodology (action research/program evaluation design)
      4. Findings and analysis of local data
      5. Recommendations, interventions, or solutions for the site/program
    • Emphasis: Professional voice, practical application, local impact.

6. Other Considerations

  • Time and Scope
    • Dissertation: Broader in scope, takes longer to complete due to research design, data collection, and scholarly contribution requirements.
    • Applied Project: Narrower in scope, often more streamlined since the focus is on solving a specific, defined problem of practice.
  • Outcome
    • Dissertation: Produces knowledge that contributes to the academic field and can be cited in future research.
    • Applied Project: Produces actionable solutions for leaders, practitioners, or organizations.
  • Career Path
    • Dissertation (Ph.D.): Best suited for careers in academia, research, or think tanks.
    • Applied Project: Best suited for practitioners, administrators, and leaders who want to apply research to their professional setting.

Key Takeaway:
At Liberty University, the Ph.D. dissertation is an academic research study designed to advance scholarly knowledge. In contrast, the applied doctoral research project (capstone/ADRP/dissertation in praxis) is a professional project intended to address and solve a local, practice-based problem.

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