PDS Writing Resources

Throughout the writing process there are a number of resources that we’ve designed to help students along the way:

PDS Writing Guide

James P. Boyce Centennial Library (SBTS Library Website)

Library Resources for Distance Students

Canvas Submission Instructions

Writing Center Doctoral Resources Page

Style Reading

Preliminary Style Reading

The first style reading is usually administered while the student is in Contextualized Writing Seminar 2, after the proposal has been approved by an assigned supervisor.

With this online PDF submission, a completed and signed copy of the Style Reading Checklist should be included.

Please note that all of these items should be reflective of the work included to date (ie. page numbers on the table of contents should be included to date, the bibliography should be complete to date, etc.)

Failure to comply with the Southern Seminary Manual of Style may result in the charge of resubmission fees.

In addition to these items, students should also take time to revise their chapter one (previously the project proposal) to reflect a proper chapter one. This includes:

  • Removal of the chapter designations in the bibliography (Ministry Project)
  • Replace the proposed bibliography with the actual bibliography (Research Thesis and Ministry Project)
  • Language throughout the chapter should be updated to reflect past tense rather than future (Ministry Project)
  • Removal of the proposed calendar (Ministry Project)
  • Removal of chapter outlines (Research Thesis)

This initial reading is meant to advise the student as to how successful they have been in interpreting and implementing Southern’s manual of style. The style reader’s comments will be returned by email with a copy kept on file in the PDS office.

Defense Draft Style Reading

The second style reading takes place as the student is preparing for oral defense. With this online PDF submission, a completed and signed copy of the Style Reading Checklist should be included.

The style reader will return any comments to the student to review before uploading the final submission, following a successful defense hearing.

The student who intends to graduate must also submit a PDF version of their completed and approved project or thesis to the Professional Doctoral Studies office by emailing it to dmin@sbts.edu (see Graduation Guidelines for more info).

Students should also submit the pdf version of their project for a style reading via the link below. A completed and signed copy of the Style Reading Checklist should be included.

Failure to comply with the Southern Seminary Manual of Style may result in the charge of resubmission fees.

Ethics Committee Forms

All students doing a Ministry Research Project must submit a Research Profile for approval by their supervisor and the Research Ethics Committee prior to conducting the research project and/or any work with human subjects. Use all documents below in creating the Research Profile.

Students will submit the Research Profile to the Professional Doctoral Studies office at any point following final proposal approval and prior to implementing the project. Once the supervisor has signed the approval page, please send a PDF version to dmin@sbts.edu for approval of the Research Ethics Committee. Contact our office with any questions regarding these forms.

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