MIS 49100 Week 6 Writing the Capstone

MIS-49100
METHODOLOGIES OF
PROJECT DEVELOPMET
 Capstone course that guides student to emphasize various methodological approaches
to software acquisition, development, testing, and implementation, and understand
relevance of methodologies to Capability Model Theory, interdependence of phase
deliverables, quality control techniques and methods, and tools for testing

MIS-49100 METHODOLOGIES OF
PROJECT DEVLPMT
How to Write a Capstone Project

 A capstone project is an
academic paper that serves as a
summary of a student’s
experience. This type of paper is
written in the last year of a
college or university course. It
can be assigned for MIS,
nursing, engineering, IT,
business, and other courses.

What Goes
Into a Good
MIS Capstone
Project Topic

 When you are choosing your MIS Capstone Project Topic you need to make sure that it is:
• Relevant: Whatever you pick for a topic must be relevant to the Information technology field.
It must allow you to demonstrate what you have learned in your entire course. Otherwise, it is
unlikely that you will attain a good grade out of your capstone project, worst, it will be
rejected!
• Unique and Challenging: Tackling an idea that is easy and has already been done might not
make for a grade winning capstone project that will excite anyone. But tackling an idea that is
unique and challenging in the MIS field will not only make for a grade winning project but also
move your examiners, fellow students and the corporate world as well.
• Importance: Does the topic you choose for your MIS capstone project contribute any
substance to your area of specialization or is it of interest to anyone? If it doesn’t have any of
these, consider choosing a different idea that makes a good contribution and captures the
interest of experts in the MIS field.
What Goes Into a Good MIS Capstone Project Topic

• Can it be completed within the available time: If you choose a topic that is
wide or too difficult will you be able to complete it on time? Be sure to choose a
topic that you can handle within the given time frame exhaustively.
• Availability of Resources: it is not advisable to come up with a topic that may
need the use of more resources that you may not have access to. Ensure you
choose a topic that requires resources that are within your reach.
• Can you define the project well enough: Ensure you select a topic that you
understand and you can define well. A poorly defined project will lack focus
hence leaving you going around circles with nothing substantial to explain.
What Goes Into a Good MIS Capstone Project Topic

How to Do a
Capstone
Project: What’s
So Special
About It?

• A capstone project is another way to sum up, the student's skills and competencies during the course.
This kind of paper may be presented in various forms: case studies, research papers, surveys,
outcome-based evaluation, focus groups, and more. The type and complexity will depend on the
chosen company.
• The student needs to pick one of the capstone project ideas related to the course or specialization and
write a paper. Typically, a capstone project will be connected with future occupations and require
strong teamwork, public speaking, and critical and analytical thinking skills. How long is a capstone
project? Usually is approximately thirty pages long or more.
• You will be given plenty of time to write it. Along with the writing process, students are frequently
required to make a presentation (also known as a defense) of their project. The aim of such a
presentation is to improve public speaking skills and help students clearly express their thoughts.
Along with a presentation, you will need to create a paper project that will accompany your
presentation with additional materials and help the listener understand how you have come to your
conclusions.
How to Do a Capstone Project: What’s So Special About It?

How to Write a
Capstone
Research Paper:
Step by Step

• It is advisable to think about the topic from the very beginning of the program. Take
notes and write down the ideas that come up during the classes. Think about the
topics that interested you the most and seem manageable. Talk with your classmates
or faculty members who have faced the topic before.
• Focus on topics connected with your own experience and life. Think about situations
where your knowledge from the course can be applied. Your capstone project should
highlight the knowledge and skills you obtained during the course and how you can
apply this in a prospective workplace.
• For example, it may be a business plan including a market investigation in a particular
area, or the development of a new product or program aimed at a certain need.
How to Write a Capstone Research Paper: Step by Step
STEP 1. Think of the topic.

 Before you start writing your paper, you will need to submit a proposal to your professor. Usually, it
is a paper of 200 words or more. How to write a capstone proposal? Include the following points in
your proposal:
• Tell about the topic you want to choose and why you want to write about this particular topic.
• Write about your experience or background on a particular topic.
• Highlight the scope of information available and sources.
• Tell about the research you plan to do in your project and what methods you plan to use: analyze a particular
process, pick specific products, etc.
• List the required workplace and human subject approvals.
• Set the aims that you wish to achieve with this project.
 If you are required to write a broader proposal, you will need to develop a literature review and
methodology that you plan to use in your writing. Make sure that you have included everything that
will assure the tutor that you are interested in the topic, and he or she will accept your proposal.
STEP 2. Create a capstone project proposal.

 Identify the sources and search for information related to your topic. Look
through textbooks from your course; you can find a list of recommended
literature and use it as a basis for your project. Create a folder on your
computer and save all references and helpful links in one single place.
 Structure information in various files, name them appropriately, and add tags
to ease the navigation.
 Highlight the key articles related to your topic that you will be discussing in
the literature review section. Group the articles by categories.
STEP 3. Gather information.

 The structure of every capstone project may vary. A clear structure will
help you logically divide your work and concentrate on each part.
Here you can see the typical structure of a capstone project:
• Title page.
• Introduction.
• Literature review.
• Methods.
• Results and Discussion.
• Conclusion and Recommendations.
• References list.
STEP 4. Come up with a structure.

 As a capstone is quite a voluminous paper, you will need to involve
your time-planning skills. The best decision will be creating a calendar
with tasks and deadlines.
 Correct the schedule over time, as one task you can complete faster,
while the other one may take more time than you have planned.
 Use organizers on your phone or computer to keep track of your
progress at any time.
STEP 5. Make a timetable.

 The basis of your capstone project is the thesis statement. Come up with a strong thesis statement that is specific
and narrow enough. If your thesis is too broad, you won't be able to cover all of the detail. You can write your
project from any point you like; the only thing you need to remember is that the introduction is written last. You
won't be able to create a good introduction when you are not deep in the matter of the issue. Don't forget to state
the major problem (or issue) and list the study's limitations.
 In the literature review, summarize your findings of the existing information on the topic. Make general
conclusions and brief analysis of each source that is valuable for your research. Keep being critical of the
sources and note the gaps in the information. Add quotes to add value to your review, but don't overuse them.
 In the methods paragraph, analyze the process of your research. The reader should understand what you have
done and how: collecting data, analysis, evaluation, etc. Justify the methods you chose and discuss the positive
and negative sides of the selected method.
 In the results section, describe the data you received during the research. If you have statistics or other data,
visualize it in tables and charts. Add descriptions and an interpretation of the data.
 In the conclusion, sum up your findings and make recommendations for further researches and applications. Find
the connection of your results with the initial issue.
STEP 6. Get to the writing.

 Reread the first draft and make corrections. Firstly, look through all
sections and make sure that they are complete and logically right. Cut
sentences without meaning, and add essential sentences so the text will be
complete.
 When you are done with the context, look through for incorrect grammar,
typos, and other mistakes. Make sure that the tone of your work is
academic.
 Finally, format the text following the requirements to make it look neat
and well structured.
 Ask someone experienced in academic writing to look through your essay
and ask for feedback.
STEP 7. Proofread the text.

 The quality of your presentation will influence the evaluation of the whole
project. Initially, you will need to reveal your topic's essence, discuss the
project research, and tell about your findings. Along with your
presentation, the professor usually asks questions connected with your
research and findings.
 Usually, the professor is familiar with your project's text, as they have
already looked through your proposal and drafts, so keep in mind that
your presentation will look more like a dissertation than a presentation
itself.
STEP 8. Prepare for presentation.

• See the CAPSTONE Final Project EXAMPLE PDF.
• The paper was written in APA style and can serve as a great example to
follow, especially if you are writing a capstone project for the first time.
• Please, note that the capstone project sample may differ from your
chosen company requirements.
Capstone Project Sample

Mistakes to
Avoid in a
Capstone
Project

• Don’t pick the topic that requires tons of calculations or complex concepts. If
you need to make a presentation of your project, the listeners will get bored with
the numbers.
• Avoid repetitions and self-plagiarism (copying parts of text from your previous
researches).Don’t underestimate the meaning of a capstone project – it may be as
important as a thesis or dissertation.
• Don’t use long sentences. Make your writing terse and to the point. A capstone
project doesn’t require narrative skills, only academic writing skills and proper
sentences that present a particular idea.
• Don’t skip doing proper proofreading and editing. Even a single grammatical or
punctuation error may spoil the impression of a good capstone project.
Mistakes to Avoid in a Capstone Project

Final Tips to
Write a
Capstone
Paper

• Strictly follow the given instructions. If your professor requires you to use a particular
structure or organize text using bullets – do it. All these recommendations are given to
make your text readable.
• Make sure that you have applied the right structure. Capstone projects are usually
voluminous and require a straightforward design.
• Create a powerful thesis statement that will show you potential.
• Plan your time wisely. Create a schedule for completing your paper.
• Pick reliable sources only. The quality of your work will depend on the sources you use.
• Pay attention to the layout. Follow the required style and format, as the presentation is vital.
• Stick to one single style of writing and tone. The paper should be written using an academic
style of writing – avoid a narrative or personal style.
• Frequently contact your professor to make sure that you are going the right way.
Final Tips to Write a Capstone Paper

MIS 49100 Week 6 Writing the Capstone

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