best capstone project writing

best capstone project writing

Effective Strategies for Writing a Successful Capstone Project

1. Introduction to Capstone Projects

Capstone projects: An overview

Capstone projects typically emerge as culminating assessments in higher education contexts, allowing students to integrate knowledge across courses in various disciplines. Although there is no single format that defines capstone projects, they are often expected to demonstrate not only content knowledge within a given field or fields, but also proficiency with various skills such as information literacy, synthesis, analysis, critical thinking, application, writing, and presenting. These projects serve a variety of ends, providing opportunities to bridge academics and professional practice, delving deeper into specific facets of students’ coursework, making connections between courses, and addressing real-world problems. Though they have recently enjoyed widespread popularity in academic institutions, reference to capstone projects goes back quite a bit further, as early forms of them emerge in the science and business fields in the 1800s. Starting in the 1980s, Davidson and students began referring to capstone-like term papers at the end of a Murphy and Schilling (1968) refer to capstones as experiences at the baccalaureate level.

Capstone projects serve several purposes within higher education, especially at the undergraduate level. First, they embody the philosophy of “writing to learn,” as having the responsibility of drafting and revising substantial documents yields a deeper level of understanding of, thought about, and engagement with subject matter. Second, they afford a crossroads for student scholarship and faculty evaluation. Capstones often constitute the only product upon which faculty can judge a student’s total matriculation. Finally, according to a variety of national corporations, graduate schools, and professional organizations, senior competency on-the-job experience is becoming more important than the grade-point average of a job applicant. A senior assignment that provides students the opportunity to perform field studies and grazing experiences appears to be just the “real learning” these groups are seeking.

2. Planning and Researching Your Capstone Project

The first thing to remember when starting a new project is to carry out a methodical analysis before moving in any direction. Considering a topic area is the very first and crucial step in your research as it will affect all of the work that you do. Chances are that if you find a topic of interest, the research process will reflect the same outcome. Without a solid research interest, the paper is unlikely to be complete, interesting, or functional.

Once you find a topic of research and your interests are aligned, the next step is conducting a review of the present literature available. As well as reading articles, journals, and books that reflect your interests, it is beneficial to look into what has been published on this topic prior to conducting your research. The literature review will also help you develop your research questions. Research questions are developed after the review of the literature because you need to look at what is already published about a topic and present any inconclusive results in order to explain why these might be obtained. Formulating a question can guide the writing process, organize your topic, and help you answer the question. A great next step would be to share and develop your questions further with faculty – see the form in this handbook.

Planning and researching the topic area is a significant part of going through a research course or engaging in a large-scale project. A project is improved through a strong focus, an interest in the topic, and finding relevant information on the subject. Always visit a library and look through articles and databases before deciding a topic of research. In addition, some professors teach classes on this. A well-conducted review of the literature will assist you in developing a series of research questions that can drive the project. Moreover, faculty will have specific disciplinary guidelines, journal styles, and expectations to consider when planning. All of these factors require their own sub-items and points of consideration when planning. You must use journal guidelines and follow the steps for getting your paper submitted and accepted for publication. The focus of the paper is an important lens to consider and contributes to the rationality of argument that is intertwined with the rest of the written material.

3. Writing and Structuring Your Capstone Project

Because inherent in the definition of the project concept is the construct of created purposefulness, traditional project management often revolves around using methods to set a project on the right course for success. A capstone project contains many akin elements with a thesis, but often serves as a final practical training piece for students. The main purpose of this kind of writing is to perform research in accordance with the standards of the chosen academic courses, which implies a more practical than theoretical focus.

Make an outline before you start writing. An outline will include the following: your research question or thesis statement, your academic goals, main goals of your paper, development, and conclusion. Then start drafting the whole thesis (or at least each part of it), and then proofread and title it. Next, read it aloud, check for consistencies and get feedback from both advisors. After implementing the reviewers’ comments, thoroughly check your paper by starting with the references, table of contents, and any appendices in which you may find spelling or numerical inconsistencies. Indeed, your first chapter is the capstone’s introduction, which outlines the basic concept for your paper. The second chapter should then elaborate on previous work. The third chapter should contain your objective and your methodology. Finally, the fourth chapter will contain your results. Then comes your final chapter, which sums up your results with a conclusion, with a brief reference for what’s next (further studies, perhaps). These are all the keypoints needed for a successful capstone project.

4. Presenting and Defending Your Capstone Project

A capstone project is distinguished for the presentation and defense of a completed academic research question. At the end of the semester, you will present and defend your project before a select audience comprised of faculty and students. It is important for your presentation to be well-prepared and engaging. Make sure to dress in a professional manner as well. You may choose a style that is professional, such as business attire. Please bring a copy of your visual aids in some format to show on a laptop if needed. A data stick is recommended for this purpose. Because there are many different computer programs available and not all of them transfer well between different computers or email, you should make sure your presentation can be read on a standard Windows computer using Microsoft Office and/or Adobe Acrobat Reader.

A capstone viva is not an inquisition or interrogation—you are not being subjected to the Spanish or Mexican Inquisition! 100% defense rates are quite common. In typical, a capstone presentation and defense take about 20 minutes. You should plan on 15–18 minutes, which will allow a few minutes for a reasonable number of questions from your audience. You do not have to address every aspect of your project in the defense itself, given that you have already done so in your written report. You may wish to concentrate on your findings and the defense of your conclusions. If you encounter a difficult question, treat it as an off-the-wall question and try to have fun with it, if you can! Even difficult questions can sometimes be asked without hostility and having a little fun usually diffuses the situation. Be an enthusiast about your topic! Excited and interested speakers are far more engaging. Be sure to practice your presentation until you are confident about your ability to make a professional and engaging presentation. Look at your committee members, not just your slides, during your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently about your project. You are qualified to answer questions— remember your audience is on your side!

5. Conclusion and Future Directions

In this paper, I have highlighted the various strategies that one can use to write and conduct a successful capstone project. As part of the capstone writing process, it is important to select an appropriate topic. There are also a myriad of ways for writers to organize their capstones. At the same time, appropriate data analysis, as well as the use of visuals and economic reasoning, also play a key role in the success of capstone projects. Other useful strategies that one can use when writing a capstone project include ensuring that references are up-to-date and using multiple resources when conducting research. I have also provided a number of practical tips to help write well in this format and have shown some examples of successful capstone projects.

Overall, capstone projects are a significant aspect of a student’s college experience. Below, I provide a number of final thoughts on how one can write a successful capstone project to contribute to a growing literature on the topic. In conclusion, capstone projects offer an opportunity for students to develop a number of important workplace skills, contributing to a successful transition into the economy post-graduation. I have also aimed to contribute to the literature on sample selection and to actual applications in light of the investment tie to post-secondary education. Universities are increasingly focused on the number of students who graduate, and who go on to successful careers post-graduation. Capstone projects are one means for CSB students to gain this knowledge and expertise. I offer directions for future research that could be helpful for pedagogy or represent applications in the field of finance.