How to Write a Capstone Project: Tips from Experts
For the majority of students, completion of their Master’s program is associated with writing a capstone project. Capstone courses may differ depending on the type of major or specialty. Besides, learning outcomes also influence whether students have to submit a capstone project or not. Thus, it is no wonder that so many students try to find specific answers to the question how to write a capstone project. One thing that is common about this research project is that it requires extensive reading, investigation of the topic, and in-depth analysis. The project requires students to demonstrate their acquired knowledge and skills in the subject as well as language fluency when it comes to writing.
If you are enrolled in a graduate program, then apart from a capstone paper, you will have to deal with essays of different types and topics. A tough schedule with all the deadlines and instructions may seem like a total nightmare, so you may need capstone project help. As a formal academic writing assignment, a capstone paper requires logical and concise structure of sentences and paragraphs, clarity of vocabulary, and consistency when it comes to presenting ideas. All in all, it is a challenging assignment that comprises many steps.
First and foremost, you need to conduct sufficient research and look through a variety of different sources. Apart from that, you have to clearly identify the central problem and base your research on it. After that, come up with the most appropriate research design and methodology, which should be helpful in finding root causes of the problem and coming up with ways of overcoming it. To make sure that your project gets approved by your academic supervisor or the admission committee, write a proposal. Only after you get green light from your professor, you can start working on the paper.
Generally, writing a capstone aims to demonstrate competencies that a student has obtained over the course of studies. A capstone project is not some specific type of writing – it may come in different forms, such as a case study, a thesis paper, a survey, a research project, an outcome-based evaluation, etc. The type of writing chosen for the project as well as its complexity depend on the course and professor’s requirements. The only essential fact is that the piece of writing is related to your major and is relevant to the given or chosen topic.
How to Write a Capstone Project: Essential Steps
Step 1. Pick the format and theme
Check out the basic standards of formatting style:
- Title page and abstract page.
- Table of contents.
- Introductory section.
- Literature review.
- Methods.
- Findings.
- Discussion.
- A list of references.
- Appendix.
When it comes to choosing a theme or topic, it is a decisive and significant step that may even influence further success of your writing. Approach this process in a diligent and serious manner. If you are not assigned a topic but are required to come up with your own one, make sure it can demonstrate your theoretical and practical skills in the best way. Moreover, pick a topic that you are passionate about. Last but not least, when selecting a topic, make sure it is equally interesting to you and your target audience.
It is a good recommendation to start thinking about the topic of your final project already when you start the educational program. You may take some notes, highlight the aspects that appeal to you most, and so on. Besides, jot down any catchy topics that you come across throughout the course.
Step 2. Compose a plan before working on the capstone assignment
A plan is always a great start of any project. A properly composed plan will help you have a clear vision of what your project will look like, what ideas and opinions you need to reflect on, and what direction you should move in. So, if you want to make the writing process smooth and logical, do not underestimate the role of an outline.
At this stage, you also need to plan what sources you need to use. Thus, try to look for credible information that is also peer-reviewed. Preferably, extract information from scholarly databases and libraries. When taking some sources from the Internet in free access, double-check how credible and trustworthy they are. Remember that applying these tips in practice will surely help you save time and energy during the writing process.
Overall, learning how to plan will help you with other assignments that you may get. Once you try composing outlines, you will definitely want to implement this strategy in other writing projects.
Step 3. Write an introductory chapter
The introductory paragraph or chapter should be catchy enough to grab attention of your target readers. Make sure you understand the difference between an abstract and an introduction.
An abstract is a brief and concise overview of the whole paper that sheds light on the different parts and ideas discussed. Even though an abstract is a part of your paper that goes first and that the readers see first, in reality, it should be written when you have a completed project. The abstract intends to summarize the paper and provide information that may interest people when it comes to the whole study. An introduction, on the other hand, should merely provide background information on the topic, pinpoint to its significance, and provide a central argument and rationale.
You also need to clearly identify the purpose of the project in the introduction. Provide clear research statement and add more details on how the research will be conducted. You may as well outline some information about how the research will be carried out and what practical implementation it may have.
Step 4. Write the literature review
You are expected to identify, analyze, discuss, and evaluate theories that make your research stronger and more reliable. For that, collect a sufficient number of sources, focus on their key ideas and concepts, discuss and evaluate them, and make sure that you concentrate on those sources that are relevant to your capstone topic. This step is essential since you should demonstrate that your research ideas are based on credible supporting information. Also, formulate the research focus in a clear way: it should identify values, mission and vision, and aims and objectives of the study. The focus of the study should relate to the background details that you have shared in the introductory chapter.
Step 5. Discuss research results and findings
Be clear and logical when addressing the research findings. Specify what you did and how. Present any numerical data and statistics that you have. Also, interpret the information so that no questions or confusion is left by the end of the writing project. Focus on aspects that pinpoint to what kind of research you have done, what the research says or proves, etc.
Write about the results in the past tense. Interpret them, evaluate them clearly, and focus on the areas that could be analyzed from different perspective (if there are some). Also, use this discussion chapter to compare your expectations from the research with the real outcomes you have.
Academic writing helps students to develop different skills: writing fluency, time-management, planning, problem-solving, and others. When it comes to mastering writing, it is only practice that can make it perfect. Therefore, it is a good idea to consider the five steps above when starting work on your capstone. Yet, mind that you can write and rewrite each of your chapters the way you consider the best.
Alton Clarke was born and raised in Syracuse. He has written for MSNBC, The Business Insider and Passport Magazine. In regards to academics, Alton earned a degree from St. John’s University. Alton covers entertainment and culture stories here at Diving daily.
