Capstone Project
The capstone project in the graduate program is an action research project where the student designs and implements a creative, original research project study.
This research project requires the student to use their graduate program training in:
- Formulating unique ideas from a review of literature
- Synthesizing content into a well-designed educational research experience of age and grade-level appropriate material
- Implementing the research project effectively
- Analyzing and assessing the data related to the outcome of the study, and
- Disseminating the information gained from the research project to professional colleagues.
General Principles of the Capstone Project
1. In the research project, appropriate methodological applications and designs will be applied.
2. The level of analysis required in the study should not exceed
the level of understanding that the student has been prepared to use.
3. In the research, recognition of errors in the execution of the
study should be noted in the analysis or conclusion, and the impact
such errors have on the conclusions discussed. These errors need not
place a student in jeopardy of having the work rejected, but they must
be recognized.
4. Papers must be presented in appropriate form with correct
spellings, appropriate sentence structure, format, and citation of
references.
5. Students should not initiate any data gathering until the design has been discussed with the advisor and approved.
Action Research Project
Graduate Student Expectations
Research Advisors Expectations
Program Director Expectations
Outcomes Expected of Graduate Student Research
Action Research Project
The Action Research Project may be completed within the following guidelines and domains:
1. Results that generalize beyond the scope or sample of the study.
This may be determined by the extent and method of sampling followed in
the study. If the sampling process seems limited it will be expected
that the student demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of the
sample and defend the representativeness of the sample as it pertains
to a population.
2. Review and analysis of research literature using appropriate databases (i.e., ERIC, PsycLit, NEXIS-LEXIS, EDRS, etc.)
3. Analysis of either national, regional, state, district or unique data sets from which new knowledge is derived.
4. Replication research to confirm or extend previous studies.
5. The study may show application of scientific methodology and
principles to solve a problem or perform an evaluation in a local
school, business, and other social or governmental agencies.
Generalization of the results would be limited and probably applicable
only to that site. It may be viewed as a case study.
Back To General Principles
Graduate Student Expectations
1. Have the primary responsibility for designing, conducting, and reporting the research.
2. Must exert an effort to establish a climate of mutual respect and reciprocal communication.
3. Must, if their research involves human subjects, complete the
appropriate Institutional Review Board process prior to the collection
of any data.
4. Must submit a detailed timetable for completion of the research project to the advisor/committee.
5. Must have and demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas in writing.
6. Must have a basic understanding of data analysis.
7. Must submit required drafts in accordance with the agreed upon
time frame, and must submit the finished document in appropriate form
in time for the advisor/committee to read.
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Research Advisor Expectations
1. Must exert effort to establish a climate of mutual respect and reciprocal communication.
2. Must have a meeting with the student to approve the design of
the study and the paper prior to its initiation and to discuss
advisement expectations of the student.
3. Approve research problem and design of research.
4. Must complete the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process, which relates to the use of human subjects in research.
5. Must be reasonably available for consultation in accordance with
the agreed upon time frame. Note: The Graduate Council recommends the
equivalent of one scheduled hour per week.
6. Must provide written feedback to students on drafts of the paper in accordance with the agreed upon time frame.
7. Must provide assistance with data analysis, or direction to
knowledgeable sources, and should provide suggestions on how the
results can be used in framing conclusions.
8. Must assist with the integration of the findings with prior research.
9. Should guide in the technical writing of the paper.
10. Must review the paper before final submission for proper format.
11. Must read the finished paper, giving final approval by signing the cover sheet, and assigning a grade.
Back To General Principles
Program Director Expectations
1. Track numbers of advisees per graduate faculty.
2. Determine release time for faculty research project.
3. Collect aggregate research project completion data and data per advisor of project advisees by attempt versus completion.
4. Advisement incorporated into performance evaluations.
5. Approve research advisors.
6. Balance the research-advising load in department.
7. Encourage and facilitate the involvement of department faculty in research advising.
8. Advise students regarding availability and expertise of a department faculty for research advisement.
9. Approve the appointment of department faculty as research advisors.
10. Monitor instructional load assignment for graduate research advisement of department faculty.
11. Monitor instructional load assignment for graduate research advisement of department faculty.
12. Encourage and facilitate the involvement of department faculty
in research advising which may include consideration of research
advisement into performance evaluations as specified by faulty
performance objectives.
13. Incorporate the need of research advising into departmental resource allocation.
14. Inform students of departmental requirements for completion of research course requirements.
15. Advise student regarding potential advisor
16. Advise students regarding completion of research requirement within program.
17. Advise students regarding completion of the research request within the total program plan.
18. Advise students regarding process of registering for the
research component and the necessary steps in the assignment of the
research advisor, approval of the research plan, and the protection of
human subjects.
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Outcomes Expected of Graduate Research
1. Demonstrate ethical behavior and proper conduct in the execution of research.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of data analysis commensurate with the research proposal.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how new knowledge is created within their own field.
4. Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of different
approaches to the development of knowledge, e.g., empirical,
experimental, developmental, qualitative, quantitative, etc.
5. Demonstrate the ability to be a critical consumer, e.g.
understanding potential design flaws, biases, etc., that may be
reported wither in the popular press or in discipline-specific
journals.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of judgments and decisions that
are made in the execution of a study and the subjectivity that is
present even in highly controlled studies.
7. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize and summarize research findings in written format, and address and solve problems.
Back To General Principles
Capstone Project Research Paper Format
Students are instructed to follow the following format in preparing the capstone research project paper.
I. Title Page
II. Signature Page
III. Table of Contents
IV. Abstract (completed following finalization of the project)
V. Body of Paper
a. Introduction to the Problem
This section is intended to be a general statement of the problem
to be investigated. It is not a literature review. However, information
that catches the reader's attention (e.g. highlights from the
literature or news) may be appropriate. This section is not meant to be
melodramatic or overly sensational, but interesting.
b. Review of Selected Literature
The literature review proves a strong theoretical basis for the
paper. It should give ideas on which questions are feasible or may be
answered in the proposed study.
c. Hypothesis or Statement of the Problem
Check the APA manual for examples or journal articles. These are
usually identified in the first two pages prior to the Methods section.
d. Methods
e. Results
f. Summary, Discussion and Implications for Future Study
VI. References
VII. Appendices