chapter 3 capstone project example

CAPSTONE PROJECT: Parts of a Capstone Project

• Parts of a Capstone Project
• Voice in the Capstone Project
• Analysis of Qualitative Data

What a Table of Contents Could Contain

I      Introduction        A     Statement Of Problem/Opportunity (Research Question)        B     Background, Context, And Significance Of Study        C     Project Researcher Identification II     Literature Review        A     Subheadings (Themes Discovered In Review)        B     Notice Of Gaps In Knowledge III    Methods        A     Subjects/Participants        B     Data Collection Approaches/Strategies              1     Advantage Of Strategy              2     Limitation Of Strategy              3     Potential Risk              4     Ethical Issues About Collection Upon The Subjects/Participants        C     Data Analysis Approaches And/Or Software (NOT The Results Themselves, Just How You Are Going To Analyze The Data – Coding Method, Analysis Of Interviews/Recordings, Mathematics And Stats Analysis) IV     Results, Findings, Interpretation, And Discussion V      Recommendations, Application, And Conclusion VI     Reference Pages

What Goes Into Each Section

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How To Write Chapter Three Of Your Research Project (Research Methodology)

Methodology In Research Paper

Chapter three of the research project or the research methodology is another significant part of the research project writing. In developing the chapter three of the research project, you state the purpose of research, research method you wish to adopt, the instruments to be used, where you will collect your data, types of data collection, and how you collected it.

This chapter explains the different methods to be used in the research project. Here you mention the procedures and strategies you will employ in the study such as research design, study design in research, research area (area of the study), the population of the study, etc.

You also tell the reader your research design methods, why you chose a particular method, method of analysis, how you planned to analyze your data. Your methodology should be written in a simple language such that other researchers can follow the method and arrive at the same conclusion or findings.

You can choose a survey design when you want to survey a particular location or behavior by administering instruments such as structured questionnaires, interviews, or experimental; if you intend manipulating some variables.

The purpose of chapter three (research methodology) is to give an experienced investigator enough information to replicate the study. Some supervisors do not understand this and require students to write what is in effect, a textbook.

A research design is used to structure the research and to show how all of the major parts of the research project, including the sample, measures, and methods of assignment, work together to address the central research questions in the study. The chapter three should begin with a paragraph reiterating the purpose of research.

It is very important that before choosing design methods, try and ask yourself the following questions:

Will I generate enough information that will help me to solve the research problem by adopting this method?

Method vs Methodology

I think the most appropriate in methods versus methodology is to think in terms of their inter-connectedness and relationship between both. You should not beging thinking so much about research methods without thinking of developing a research methodology.

Metodologia or methodology is the consideration of your research objectives and the most effective method  and approach to meet those objectives. That is to say that methodology in research paper is the first step in planning a research project work. 

Design Methodology: Methodological Approach                

Example of methodology in research paper, you are attempting to identify the influence of personality on a road accident, you may wish to look at different personality types, you may also look at accident records from the FRSC, you may also wish to look at the personality of drivers that are accident victims, once you adopt this method, you are already doing a survey, and that becomes your  metodologia or methodology .

Your methodology should aim to provide you with the information to allow you to come to some conclusions about the personalities that are susceptible to a road accident or those personality types that are likely to have a road accident. The following subjects may or may not be in the order required by a particular institution of higher education, but all of the subjects constitute a defensible in metodologia or methodology chapter.

 READ ALSO:  HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVE RESEARCH PROJECT ABSTRACT

Methodology

A  methodology  is the rationale for the research approach, and the lens through which the analysis occurs. Said another way, a methodology describes the “general research strategy that outlines the way in which research is to be undertaken” The methodology should impact which method(s) for a research endeavor are selected in order to generate the compelling data.

Example Of Methodology In Research Paper :

• Phenomenology: describes the “lived experience” of a particular phenomenon
• Ethnography: explores the social world or culture, shared beliefs and behaviors
• Participatory: views the participants as active researchers
• Ethno methodology: examines how people use dialogue and body language to construct a world view
• Grounding theory*: assumes a blank slate and uses an inductive approach to develop a new theory

A  method  is simply the tool used to answer your research questions — how, in short, you will go about collecting your data.

Methods Section Of Research Paper Example :

• Contextual inquiry
• Usability study
• Diary study

If you are choosing among these, you might say “what method should I use?” and settle on one or more methods to answer your research question.

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Research Design Definition: WRITING A RESEARCH DESIGN

A qualitative study does not have variables. A scientific study has variables, which are sometimes mentioned in Chapter 1 and defined in more depth in Chapter 3. Spell out the independent and dependent, variables. An unfortunate trend in some institutions is to repeat the research questions and/or hypotheses in both Chapter 1 and Chapter 3. Sometimes an operational statement of the research hypotheses in the null form is given to set the stage for later statistical inferences. In a quantitative study, state the level of significance that will be used to accept or reject the hypotheses.

Pilot Study

In a quantitative study, a survey instrument that the researcher designed needs a pilot study to validate the effectiveness of the instrument, and the value of the questions to elicit the right information to answer the primary research questions in. In a scientific study, a pilot study may precede the main observation to correct any problems with the instrumentation or other elements in the data collection technique. Describe the pilot study as it relates to the research design, development of the instrument, data collection procedures, or characteristics of the sample.

Instruments

In a research study, the instrument used to collect data may be created by the researcher or based on an existing instrument. If the instrument is the researcher created, the process used to select the questions should be described and justified. If an existing instrument is used, the background of the instrument is described including who originated it, and what measures were used to validate it.

If a Likert scale is used, the scale should be described. If the study involves interviews, an interview protocol should be developed that will result in a consistent process of data collection across all interviews. Two types of questions are found in an interview protocol: the primary research questions, which are not asked of the participants, and the interview questions that are based on the primary research questions and are asked of the participants.

In a qualitative study, this is the section where most of the appendices are itemized, starting with letters of permission to conduct the study and letters of invitation to participate with the attached consent forms. Sample: this has to do with the number of your participants or subjects as the case may be. Analysis (how are you planning to analyze the results?)

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EFFECTIVE GUIDE AND METHODOLOGY SAMPLES

This chapter deals effectively with the research methods to be adopted in conducting the research, and it is organized under the following sub-headings:

• Research Design
• Area of Study

The population of the Study

• Sample and Sampling Techniques
• Instruments for Data Collection

The validity of the Instrument

Reliability of the Instrument

• Administration of the instruments
• Scoring the instruments

Method of Data Collection

Method of Data Analysis

Research Design:

This has to do with the structure of the research instrument to be used in collecting data. It could be in sections depending on different variables that form the construct for the entire topic of the research problems. A reliable instrument with a wrong research design will adversely affect the reliability and generalization of the research. The choice of design suitable for each research is determined by many factors among which are: kind of research, research hypothesis, the scope of the research, and the sensitive nature of the research.

Area of Study:

Research Area; this has to do with the geographical environment of the study area where the places are located, the historical background when necessary and commercial activities of that geographical area. For example, the area of the study is Ebonyi State University. At the creation of Ebonyi State in 1996, the Abakaliki campus of the then ESUT was upgraded to Ebonyi State University College by Edict no. 5 of Ebonyi State, 1998 still affiliated to ESUT with Prof. Fidelis Ogah, former ESUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor as the first Rector. In 1997, the Faculty of Applied and Natural Sciences with 8 departments was added to the fledging University, and later in 1998 when the ESUT Pre-Science Programme was relocated to Nsukka, the EBSUC Pre-Degree School commenced lectures in both Science and Arts in replacement of the former. This study focused on the students of the Business Education department in Ebonyi state university.

The population is regarded in research work as the type of people and the group of people under investigation. It has to be specific or specified. For example educational study teachers in Lagos state. Once the population is chosen, the next thing is to choose the samples from the population.

According to Uma (2007), the population is referred to as the totality of items or object which the researcher is interested in. It can also be the total number of people in an area of study. Hence, the population of this study comprised of all the students in the department of Business Education, Ebonyi State University which is made up of year one to four totaling 482. The actual number for the study was ascertained using Yaro-Yamane's formula which stated thus:

n   =        N

N is the Population

1 is constant

e is the error margin

Then, n   =         482

1+482(0.05)2

= 214.35 approximately 214

Sample and sampling technique:

It may not be possible to reach out to the number of people that form the entire population for the study to either interview, observe, or serve them with copies of the questionnaire. To be realistic, the sample should be up to 20% of the total population. Two sampling techniques are popular among all the sampling techniques. These are random and stratified random sampling techniques. (A). in Random Sampling, the writers select any specific number from a place like a school, village, etc. (B). In Stratified Random Sampling, one has to indicate a specific number from a stratum which could be a group of people according to age, qualification, etc. or different groups from different locations and different considerations attached.

Instruments for Data Collection:

This is a device or different devices used in collecting data. Example: interview, questionnaire, checklist, etc. instrument is prepared in sets or subsections, each set should be an entity thus asking questions about a particular variable to be tested after collecting data. The type of instrument used will determine the responses expected. All questions should be well set so as to determine the reliability of the instrument.

This has to do with different measures in order to determine the validity and reliability of the research instrument. For example, presenting the drafted questionnaire to the supervisor for scrutiny. Giving the questionnaire to the supervisor for useful comments and corrections would help to validate the instrument.

The test-retest reliability method is one of the simplest ways of testing the stability and reliability of an instrument over time. The test-retest approach was adopted by the researcher in establishing the reliability of the instrument. In doing this 25 copies of the questionnaire were administered on twenty-five selected respondents. After two weeks another 25 copies of the same questionnaire were re-administered on the same group. Their responses on the two occasions were correlated using Parsons Product Moment Correlation. A co-efficient of 0.81 was gotten and this was high enough to consider the instrument reliable.

Administration of the instruments:

Here, the writer states whether he or she administers the test personally or through an assistant. He also indicates the rate of return of the copies of the questionnaire administered.

Scoring the instruments:

Here items on the questionnaire or any other device used must be assigned numerical values. For example, 4 points to strongly agree, 3 points to agree, 2 points to disagree, and 1 point to strongly disagree.

Table of Analysis

The researcher collected data using the questionnaire. Copies of the questionnaire were administered by the researcher on the respondents. All the respondents were expected to give maximum co-operation, as the information on the questionnaire is all on things that revolve around their study. Hence, enough time was taken to explain how to tick or indicate their opinion on the items stated in the research questionnaire.

In this study, the mean was used to analyze the data collected. A four (4) point Likert scale was used to analyze each of the questionnaire items.

The weighing was as follows:

VGE—————- Very Great Extent (4 points)

GE—————– Great Extent (3 points)

LE—————– Little Extent (2 points)

VLE—————- Very Little Extent (1 point)

SA—————– Strongly Agree (4 points)

A——————- Agree (3 points)

D—————— Disagree (2 points)

SD—————- Strongly Disagree (1 point)

The mean of the scale will then be determined by summing up the points and dividing their number as follows with the formula:

Where; x= mean

f= frequency

X= Nominal value of the option

∑= summation

N= Total Number

Therefore, the mean of the scale is 2.5.

This means that any item statement with a mean of 2.50 and above is considered agreed by the respondents and any item statement below 2.5 is considered disagreed.

EDITORS SOURCE: How To Write Chapter Three Of Your Research Project (Research Methodology)

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Ch. 3 “Research is creating new knowledge.” -Neil Armstrong, Astronaut

To effectively meet the goals of your capstone project, it is important that you research best practices and published resources that support your project objectives. In other words, you’ll need to embark on a discovery process to uncover what is currently being put into practice in industry that relates to your project purpose, as well as published work that helps to reinforce your project goals and objectives. As you review the past students’ capstone projects in our course, you can gain a firsthand understanding of the value that a solid literature review provides to your capstone work.

For example, if your project purpose is to develop a leadership training program for your organization, it would be critical to know what types of leadership skills are effective for organizational success and what leadership theories apply to your project objectives. In this case you would perform a thorough research process of articles, textbooks, peer reviewed published resources, etc. to gain a thorough insight and understanding of the current state of knowledge around the topic of leadership. This will help you develop your theoretical framework and provide an overview of key findings and areas of debate around, in this example, leadership. The literature review shows your reader how your work relates to and incorporates existing research and what new insights you can conclude from your research as they relate to your project objectives.

The American University in Washington, D.C. provides a Literature Review Tutorial that illustrates the importance of a literature review as it relates to your project work. You will want to be sure to click on the tabs at the top to navigate through all of the pages of the guide.

The CPS at UNH Research Guide is also a helpful resource for this portion of your work. If you need further assistance, you are encouraged to contact the CPS at UNH Librarian at [email protected] for direct one-on-one help. Our Librarian is an amazing resource who can help you research useful sources for your literature review.

MGMT 797 Capstone Guide Copyright © 2020 by Granite State College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Capstone Project Chapter 3

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3. Constructing a Guiding Question

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Describe the process and importance of guiding-question development for research-based capstone projects.
• Incorporate the FINER approach into guiding question development.
• Explain the role of the Fundamental Four in guiding question development.
• Describe and Apply the PICOT approach to developing a specific question for your capstone projects.

This chapter introduces you to strategies and frameworks that can be used to construct a sound question to guide your capstone experience.  The FINER approach to general question development is presented followed by the Fundamental Four approach.  Finally, the Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time (PICOT) approach to specific capstone question development is illustrated.  The tactics for question development introduced in this chapter will provide you with an initial basis for mutual understanding, communication, and direction for a meaningful and purposeful capstone project.

Introduction

Good literature reviews begin with a clear, answerable question that addresses an important problem, identified need, or phenomenon of interest (Considine, Shaban, Fry & Curtis, 2017).  The challenge in developing an appropriate question is in determining which professional practice uncertainties could or should be studied and rationalizing the need for their investigation.

Planning and Preparing for the Development of a Guiding Question(s) for Capstone Projects

Once a capstone topic has been selected, it is critical for you to develop a question that will support an efficient literature review (Stage 2).  A preliminary scope of literature (Stage 1, Chapter Two) regarding a selected topic will help you construct a question that will inform the rest of the literature review for your capstone project. For a question to be effective and complement the design of a capstone project, its needs to be succinct.  Additionally, guiding questions will vary in relation to the purpose it serves.  For example, the purpose of one capstone project may be to describe the experiences of participants, another may explore their experiences, while yet another may aim to compare participants’ experiences.  While all of them pertain to the participants’ experience, what is being studied in regard to the experiences differs (Burke & Dempsey, 2022).  Clarity about a capstone project’s purpose can also help you develop a good guiding question (Refer to Figure 3-1:  Words That Can Be Used for Creating a Capstone Purpose).

Figure 3.1:     Words that Can Be Used for Creating a Capstone Purposes

Developing a General Question:  The FINER Criteria

Once you have an approved topic for your capstone project, it is important to take the time to develop a high-quality guiding question. The FINER criteria highlight useful points that should be considered in general question development (Farrugia, Petrisor, Farrokhyar & Bhandari, 2010). (Refer to Table 3.1:  The FINER Criteria).

Table 3.1:  The FINER Criteria

Sources: Farrugia, P., Petrisor, B. A., Farrokhyar, F., & Bhandari, M. (2010). Research questions,hypotheses and objectives.  Canadian journal of surgery ,  53 (4), 278; Patino, C. M., & Ferreira, J. C. (2016). Developing research questions that make a difference.  Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia ,  42 ,403-403.

Developing a Question:  The Fundamental Four

During the early stages of the capstone process, your guiding question may be broad in scope and subsequently difficult to answer.  Therefore, considerable care and time should be spent refining problem, need, or phenomenon of interest so the question facilitates a rigorous and robust search of the literature, using key terms and phrases.  Planning and preparing for the development of a guiding question for quality outcomes should address four fundamental questions (Considine, et al., 2017).  (Refer to Table 3.2:  The Fundamental Four for Informing Quality Research).

Table 3.2:  The Fundamental Four for Informing Quality Research

In the quest of designing a capstone project, it is crucial to invest time, energy, and resources into the construction of a guiding question before proceeding to the study design (Lopes, Hurtado-Puerto, Moreno, Fregni, Falcão & Amorim, 2016)

Transforming a General Question into a Specific Question:  The PICOT Approach

Evidence-based practice proposes that clinical problems that emerge from care practice, teaching, or research can be broken down and organized using the PICOT strategy.  PICOT represents an acronym for Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time.  These components are essential elements of guiding question development in evidence-based practice and in the construction of a solid question (Santos, Pimenta & Nombre, 2007).  (Refer to Table 3.3:  Description of the PICOT Strategy).   T

The PICOT approach will help you generate a specific question that aids in constructing the framework of your capstone project.  The PICOT approach also aids in program protocol development by addressing the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the population involved in your study.  Furthermore, identifying a specific population of interest, an intervention, and outcomes of interest can also help you identify and/or develop an appropriate outcome measurement tool (Farrugia, et al., 2010).  It should be noted that not all PICOT questions will require a comparison.  The decision to compare two interventions will be based on the needs of your facility and the nature of your capstone project.  Additionally, not all questions will require a time period; however, it is important to keep this aspect of your capstone project in mind while performing an extensive literature review and developing your program or intervention.

Table 3.3:  Description of the PICOT Strategy

By following the PICOT format an idea can be developed into a useful clinical question, which is the foundation for developing a comprehensive capstone project.

You do not have to be an epidemiologist or clinical research methodologist to develop a good guiding question.  Most research questions for clinical practitioners start with an idea or observation that arises from daily practice, observation, or reading of published literature.  The concept of evidence-based practice incorporates the routine of developing good clinical questions as part of day-to-day clinical or service management.  Recognizing an area that requires additional study is the first step while developing the skills to clearly articulate a question that should be asked is the next step.  Although it can be challenging and time-intensive to develop a guiding question, the strategies and approaches for constructing a guiding question included in this chapter will help you to develop and refine this skill.  Once the skill of constructing clinical questions is acquired, evidence-based practice will become commonplace and the foundation on which to design a methodologically sound capstone project is established (Heddle, 2007).

Case Study:  Constructing a Guiding Questions

• Glynn completed Stage 1 of her literature review. During this literature review, Glynn became aware of a Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, which is an open-access resource provided to all health care professionals by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
• Glynn’s initial literature review also enlightened them to the fact that there is a gap in the literature regarding health literacy universal precautions and occupational therapy clinical practice. Glynn has again met with their mentor and capstone instructors, who initially approved the topic of health literacy, to discuss health literacy universal precautions and occupational therapy clinical practice as a topic for their capstone project.  Glynn’s mentor and instructors have approved this.  Glynn will initiate their research-based capstone  project by developing a guiding question.
• After reviewing the FINER and Fundamental Form Approaches to general guiding question development, Glynn was ready to apply the PICOT framework to create a specific guiding question.
•  Does a ( I) health literacy universal precautions workshop for (P) occupational therapy practitioners (O) improve their working knowledge about health literacy, and increase their self-perceived ability to identify, assess and implement client-centered interventions that optimize outcomes for low-health literate patients?
• The PIO question above will be the focus of Glynn’s research-based capstone project. Glynn is ready to begin their comprehensive and thorough literature review to locate the most current research and information supporting their project.

Optimizing Your Capstone Experience: A Guidebook for Allied Health Professionals Copyright © 2023 by Virginia E. Koenig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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