Library: Capstone & Thesis Research: Selecting and Focusing Your Research Topic (2024)
Many students start with a general topic and then narrow the focus. For example, youmay beinterested in social media and decide to examine its use by employees in the workplace. You could be even more specific, limiting your scope to a particular geographical location, a specific type of company, an age group, etc.
For mostpapers, you will want to write a thesis statement expressing the argument you want to make. The statement will guide you as you search for information. In this case, you may decide that youwant to find research on the pros and cons of social media use in the workplace. A sample thesis statementis Do the benefits to companies whose employees use social mediaat work outweighthe negatives?
If you plan to conduct actual research, you will need to establish aresearch question or questions that your study will attempt to answer. For example, we may ask Does the size of a company make a significant difference in the degree to which companies benefit from social media use among their employees?To address this question, you could do a survey of various companies and compare the responses of large, medium and small companies. Ideally this study would cover new ground and not exactly replicate previous studies.
Research current trends and issues: Look for current trends and issues in your field of study and choose a topic that addresses them. This will make your capstone project more relevant and impactful. Consult with your advisor: Consult with your capstone advisor to get their input and guidance on choosing a topic.
The Capstone Project is a two-semester process in which students pursue independent research on a question or problem of their choice, engage with the scholarly debates in the relevant disciplines, and - with the guidance of a faculty mentor - produce a substantial paper that reflects a deep understanding of the topic.
A capstone project attempts to address an issue in the field by applying existing knowledge toward a real-life problem (often in the form of fieldwork). A thesis seeks to create new knowledge through student research, trying to prove or argue a hypothesis, rather than just investigate a topic.
The best Capstone proposals are important but not urgent; achievable within the academic time frame and with the resources available; provide a clear definition of the problem or issue to be addressed; have a realistic scope; and specify tangible deliverables for the Capstone team to provide.
A capstone course has expectations similar to a project. The difference is that the scope of the project is defined so that the results can be achieved within a semester.
How Long Does it Take to Complete a Capstone Project? Although this will vary from school to school, generally a capstone project will be as short as a 10-week quarter to as long as two semesters depending on the rigor and requirements of the graduate program.
While a project of this scope and scale can be challenging, it can also be very rewarding. The capstone project is usually the final assignment and plays a vital role in preparing students for the world of work thanks to its practical applications and ability to help hone students' professional knowledge and skills.
The first step in writing a position paper is choosing your topic. You may be assigned a topic, or you may need to develop a topic yourself. In either case, a good topic for a position paper is one that allows you to take a definable, defendable stance that you can back up with relevant data.
Topic selection can be performed with the help of interviews with specialists in the research area, studying relevant literature references in the area. It is advisable to have a selected group of researchers conduct a brainstorming session to construct the main question.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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