CAPSTONE PROJECT FORMAT

Title Page
For Final Paper
Executive Summary
▪ This is a summary of the capstone paper. Write a concise summary of the key points of your research.
▪ Executive Summary should contain at least your research topic, research questions/objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
Table of Contents
List of Figures, List of Tables, List of Notations
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Project Context
Purpose and Description
Objectives
Significance of the Study
Scope and Limitations
Operational Definition of Terms
Introduction
▪ The introduction may range from a paragraph or two to possibly one
page in length. Its purpose is to state the general nature of the problem.
Note that this is the general nature and not the problem itself. It
should be brief and it is intended to capture the attention of the reader. A
good introduction should make the reader want to read more
▪ This scope may be global, national, or regional and local.
▪ The Introduction is not a summary of the paper.
▪ You do not discuss the outcomes of your work here.
▪ Presents a general statement about the study (can be an issue or claim)
▪ Presents support about the general statement (organization or
beneficiaries can be introduced also)
Project Context
▪ The proponent should introduce the presentation of the
problem, that is, what is the problem is all about.
▪ The proponent should give strong justification for selecting
such research problem in his/her capacity as a
researcher. Being part of the organization or systems and
the desire and concern to improve the systems.
▪ The researcher states a sentence or two that would show
the link and relationship of the rationale of the study to the
proposed research problem.
Purpose and Description
▪ What is the function of your project?
▪ What is good in your project?
▪ What makes your project unique,
innovative and relevant?
Objectives
Guidelines in Formulating the Objectives of the
Project:
o Start with the General Objective which is very
parallel to the project title.
o Explode the general objective into Specific
Objectives that will help realize the proposed study.
o Objectives should be SMART
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
- refers to the potential importance, relevance, or impact of the research findings. It outlines how the
research contributes to the existing body of knowledge, what gaps it fills, or what new
understanding it brings to a particular field of study.
You can discuss how your study:
• Contributes to the existing body of knowledge.
• Addresses a significant research gap.
• Offers a new or better solution to a problem.
• Impacts policy or practice.
• Leads to improvements in a particular field or sector.
You should make these claims in a realistic way, based on the scope and limitations of your study.
Identify Beneficiaries: Identify who will benefit from your study. This could include other
researchers, practitioners in your field, policy-makers, communities, businesses, or others. Explain
how your findings could be used and by whom.

Future Implications: Discuss the implications of your study for future research. This could involve
questions that are left open, new questions that have been raised, or potential future
methodologies suggested by your study.

https://researchmethod.net/significance-of-the-study/
Example:
Here is an example of a significance statement in a research proposal:

Title: The Effects of Gamification on Learning Programming: A Comparative Study

Significance Statement:
This proposed study aims to investigate the effects of gamification on learning
programming. With the increasing demand for computer science professionals,
programming has become a fundamental skill in the computer field. However, learning
programming can be challenging, and students may struggle with motivation and
engagement. Gamification has emerged as a promising approach to improve students’
engagement and motivation in learning, but its effects on programming education are not
yet fully understood. This study is significant because it can provide valuable insights into
the potential benefits of gamification in programming education and inform the
development of effective teaching strategies to enhance students’ learning outcomes and
interest in programming.

https://researchmethod.net/significance-of-the-study/
Scope and limitations
▪ Think the project scope as a box. High-level scope defines the sides of the
box and separates what is relevant to your project from what is irrelevant.
▪ The scope refers to the work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a
product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.
▪ The scope explains the nature, coverage, and time frame of the study

▪ The limitation, on the other hand, explains all that are NOT included in your
project.
▪ In other words, the scope of the project gives an overview all the
deliverables (i.e. the things that your project gives/delivers), and the tools
and technologies used that will be used in the project development while the
limitations of the project are the boundaries of the project (i.e. areas/things
that are out of scope).
 Operational Definition of Terms
An operational definition is the specific meaning of a word or phrase given to it by the group of
people who use the word in their specific context.

Research studies usually include terms that must be carefully and precisely defined, so that others
know exactly what has been done and there are no ambiguities. Two types of definitions can be
given: conceptual definitions and operational definitions.

Loosely speaking, a conceptual definition explains what to measure or observe (what a word or a
term means for your study), and an operational definitions defines exactly how to measure or observe
it.

For example, in a study of stress in students during a university semester.

A conceptual definition would describe what is meant by ‘stress.’

An operational definition would describe how the ‘stress’ would be measured.

 Definition 2.1 (Conceptual definition) A conceptual definition articulates what exactly is to be
measured or observed in a study.

Definition 2.2 (Operational definition) An operational definition articulates how to capture (identify,
create, measure, assess etc.) the value.

Sometimes the definitions themselves aren’t important, provided a clear definition is given.
Sometimes, commonly-accepted definitions exist, so should be used unless there is a good
reason to use a different definition (for example, in criminal law, an ‘adult’ in Australia is
someone aged 18 or over).

Sometimes, a commonly-accepted definition does not exist, so the definition being used should
be clearly articulated.

https://bookdown.org/pkaldunn/Book/OperationDefinitions.html
 Different Examples of Operational Definition of Terms

https://bookdown.org/pkaldunn/Book/OperationDefinitions.html
https://bookdown.org/pkaldunn/Book/OperationDefinitions.html
https://bookdown.org/pkaldunn/Book/OperationDefinitions.html
 Consider a study measuring stress in first-year university students.

Stress cannot be measured directly, but could be assessed using a

survey (like the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (Cohen et al. 1983)).

The operational definition of stress is the score on the ten-question

PSS.

Other means of measuring stress are also possible (such as heart

rate or blood pressure).

https://bookdown.org/pkaldunn/Book/OperationDefinitions.html
 Consider a study requiring water temperature to be
measured.

An operational definition would explain how the temperature

is measured: the thermometer type, how the thermometer
was positioned, how long was it left in the water, and so
on.

In contrast, a conceptual definition might describe the

scientific definition of temperature.

https://bookdown.org/pkaldunn/Book/OperationDefinitions.html