...Running head: CAPSTONE GUIDEBOOK 1 Note: On the cover page you actually use the words “running head:” You do not on all the rest of the pages Note page number position The Capstone Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Capstone Design and Writing By Douglas L. Blakemore, Ph.D. Full Professor Accounting, Finance, and Information Systems Department Ferris State University CAPSTONE GUIDEBOOK 2 Copyright: 2012, Douglas L. Blakemore, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved CAPSTONE GUIDEBOOK Table of Contents Note, page numbers are right aligned 3 Page Chapter 1: Getting Started ............................................................................................…4 Chapter 2: The Five-Chapter Approach to the Capstone................................................10 Chapter 3: Organizing the Presentation of Your Study/Project......................................17 Chapter 4: A Few Basics for Writing the Capstone.........................................................24 Reference.........….……………………………………………………………………....29 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………...30 CAPSTONE GUIDEBOOK Note, running head Chapter 1: Getting Started For this class you will be conducting a research study or completing a project which demonstrates the skills and knowledge you have obtained in your field. The 4 See Ch 3 for required format for headings. APA has a required format to follow. Do not accept Word formatting without reviewing even if it says it is APA. completed...
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...|[pic] |Capstone Course in Psychology | | |College of Social Sciences | | |PSY/490 | Copyright © 2010, 2009, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Professor Susan Ellis, Ph.D. susanelliss@email.phoenix.edu (University of Phoenix) susanellis@agreatday.net (Personal) Course Description This is the capstone course for undergraduate psychology students. The course provides students with the opportunity to integrate and apply learning from their psychology program of study in a comprehensive manner. Students will also assess the impact of their educational experiences on their ethical perspectives and critical thinking skills. Students will reflect on and evaluate their personal and professional growth, the benefits of lifelong learning, and the impact of these elements on their future. Policies Students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials...
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...Pagination and Page Header: See APA p. 288. Use the “header and footer feature” in Microsoft Word. See Appendix A for directions. APA Writing Style 1 APA requires a Running Head for publication. See APA, p. 296, section 5.15. The title is in upper and lowercase letters, centered between the left and right margins and positioned in the upper half of the page (See APA, p. 296) An example is available on p. 306 (please note the example has different requirements, this is only to be used for illustration of where to begin the title) APA Writing Style and Mechanics Student Name University of Phoenix Include Course Number and Title for the course in which you are enrolled. GEN/300: Skills for Professional Development Faculty Name and Title February 18, 2004 UOP REQUIRED TITLE PAGE Centered on the page (as shown above), include in this order: • Title of Paper (Mixed upper and lower case letters; centered, see APA p. 296) • Your Name (first and last, do not include academic or license information, i.e., BSN, RN) • University of Phoenix • Course Number and Course Title • Facilitator’s Name and Title (first and last, with academic title, i.e., MSN, MBA, PhD) • Date Submitted **All lines are double-spaced (no single or triple-spacing) throughout the entire document. The standards outlined in this sample paper are within APA guidelines; however, your instructor may have additional requirements. APA Writing Style APA does not permit use of the word “Introduction”...
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...Assignment 3 Name: Mikaela Carender Assignment 3 is a structured assignment. You must complete the questions in order. This is a short capstone assignment that will take us briefly through the research process. Let’s pretend that we’re all taking an ENGL 1001 class this semester and that we are required to write a paper on a current event, issue, or controversy. As part of our research for the paper, we are required to complete an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Our instructor has informed us that we need to use 6 total sources for our annotated bibliography: * 3 must be scholarly journal articles * 3 can be a mix of popular articles, reference sources, internet sources, images, statistical sources, etc. * The information must be current, and must not have publication dates or cover dates before the year 2000 * You must cite articles in the APA style. We know that the first thing we should do as researchers is look up the topic in a reference source to gain a bit of knowledge about the topic, become familiar with the vocabulary used to write about and discuss the topic, and to start noting the cited references included in entries that will lead us to...
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...As a learner, most of my writing has been APA style writing. In fact, the three universities that I have attended in the past have all required me to use the APA style of writing. As I recall my high school years, the APA style of writing also seemed to be a favorite amongst my high school teachers. They all required that term papers be written in APA style as well. This type of writing actually does not differ much from the ones included in the text reading. The text mentioned the APA style of writing several times. In my opinion, it appears to be the most popular style of writing, especially amongst college students. Based on the results of the quizzes, my grammar skills were actually a little better than average. I actually had expected to do better, but I guess my grammar skills are not as good as I thought they were. In any event I feel very confident when it comes to spelling, as I have always been a great speller. Even in grade school, I was a good speller. I learned at a very young age to challenge myself when it comes to spelling. Challenging my-self in that area really paid off as I became older, as I’ve never had a problem with spelling. However, I feel that I need more help with run on sentences and with thought patterns. Though I proof read my paper several times, it’s hard for me to see that I have several run on sentences until after I get my grade back. In general, I feel that my writing is just mediocre. However, I also believe that when it comes...
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...Strategic Plan, Part I: Conceptualizing a Business University of Phoenix BUS/475 Heike Soeffker-Culicerto Strategic Plan, Part I: Conceptualizing a Business This week’s assignment is about explain the importance of Mr. D’s Cyber Café by creating the business’s vision, mission, and values. These steps will help to determine the strategic direction of the business. In this paper I will define my business, products, services, and customers by developing a mission statement. I will create a vision for this business that clearly demonstrates my decision on what I want my business to become in the future. I will define my guiding principles of my business by considering the topics of culture, social responsibility, and ethics. I will analyze how the vision, mission, and values that guide my business’s strategic direction. I will evaluate how the business addresses customers’ needs and critique how they achieve competitive advantage. Mission and Vision Statement Mr. D’s Cyber Café, unlike similar café’s, will provide a unique atmosphere for communication and entertainment though the use of high speed Internet. Mr. D’s Cyber Café is the answer to the public’s demand for easy access for communication and large volume of information found on the Internet, affordable cost for entertainment and in such a way that will not leave them socially, economically, or politically isolated. Mr. D’s Cyber Café is to provide the community with a safe, social, educational, and entertaining atmosphere...
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...lack of knowledge of the American Psychological Association (APA) writing guidelines, procrastination, which does not allow the individual to spend the time needed to research the topic. The guidelines of the American Psychological Association should be followed. Some students plagiarize because they think that it is not necessary to place citations throughout the written work text, but only on the reference page. This occurs when the individual is unfamiliar with the APA guidelines. Lack of knowledge of the subject due to students procrastinating. Procrastination does not allow for the student to thoroughly research the subject to ensure that the ideas are solely his or her own. Procrastination can cause a student to plagiarize by copying and pasting the information that is found. This practice can also cause a student to purchase the work of others from different sources. Intentional versus Unintentional Plagiarism Intentional plagiarism occurs when an individual knowingly uses the work of another as his or her own. A common form of intentional plagiarism is copying and pasting from multiple sources to construct a source and not giving the authors credit. Unintentional plagiarism occurs when an individual uses a series of words from a source and does not credit the author. A common form of unintentional plagiarism is rearranging the information that another author wrote by changing or omitting words (APA, 2010, pg. 171). Students sometimes forget to provide an in...
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...Resource 1: EDA 575 Educational Leadership in a Changing World Benchmark Assessment and Rubric Targeted Essential Learning Students will examine the fundamental concepts of organizational theories and leadership models on a macro level as they relate to educational enterprises in their quest for school improvement. (ISLLC 2008: 1, 3) Assessment Tool Selected Essay Specific Performance/Task(s) • Create plans to achieve defined organizational goals. (ISLLC 2008: 1C; ELCC 1.1, 1.2) • Establish effective management of the organization to support the learning environment. (ISLLC 2008: 3A; ELCC 3.3) Relevancy of Task to Principal Candidate An effective leader must understand the fundamental concepts of organizational theories and leadership at a macro level, as well as the complexity of being a school leader with a vision for systematic change and practical skills that work to ensure smooth day-to-day operations of a school. Assessment: Student Prompts/Directions 1) Individual: The Big Picture: A Strategic Plan (Benchmark Assessment) a) School Profile i) In Module 3 and using the institution you with which you are associated, you wrote a school profile (1000–1250 words). The school profile’s major goal is to describe the school and its programs with the intent to improve the institution through informed decision making. Issues to consider when developing the school profile included: (1) Philosophy, mission, and vision. (2) Community and school (staff and students)...
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...number, use the URL of the publisher’s home page: Retrieved from http://www.xxxxxx. (Do not use periods at the end of a DOI number or URL address.) In this case, the article did not have a doi number. The home page for Nursing Standard is http://nursingstandard.rcnpublishing.co.uk/ Therefore, it should read Gaskell, S., & Nightingale, S. (2010). Supporting people with learning disabilities in acute care. Nursing Standard, 24(18), 42-48. Retrieved from http://nursingstandard.rcnpublishing.co.uk/ If this example did have a doi number it would read: Gaskell, S., & Nightingale, S. (2010). Supporting people with learning disabilities in acute care. Nursing Standard, 24(18), 42-48. doi:12345678979878787 Example 2 I have another APA question for you. It is regarding websites and the use of web addresses. When you have a website with no author, how do you list the citation in text? How do you format the reference? Using the following information, provide the citation and reference format. Title of web article: Envision the Future: Nursing in 2011 Date of article: 7/11/2010 No listed author, no listed organization Web address: www.letstalk.com I did not mention if the article from the website...
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...What is APA Style? The acronym “APA” stands for “American Psychological Association.” The APA is a professional membership organization, whose members work or have degrees in Psychology. Many years back, some leaders in this organization created a format for papers, so that they would be more readable. Their style caught on with non-psychologists, too. Eventually, APA Style became widely used, especially in colleges and universities. APA Style is a format for writing papers. This format describes proper margins (one inch at the top, bottom, left, and right sides), the font size (12 points), the font types (Times New Roman or Arial fonts only), and the spacing (papers are double-spaced). In addition, there are formats for the title page (see example) and for the list of sources used for a paper (called “citations” or “references” or “reference list”). This handout provides examples, so that you will know what the standards are for papers at the university level. In case you feel you need extra help, here are links to the Writing Labs or Writing Centers of other universities. Help with APA Style for Citing References From the APA Style Web site and blog (URLs are below each entry) Sample papers http://search.apastyle.org/?query=&facet=stylecontenttype:Sample%20paperRecommended Web sites that will assist you in creating correct APA style Reference List citations: You put in the information for your sources, and this Web site creates your references in APA format...
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...Write a minimum of 4-6 single-spaced report pages (not including the table of contents, transmittal form, executive summary, or title page). 1. Organize the reports by section headings. 2. The report should contain relevant and applicable graphics (at least one). 3. The findings should be based on research, including at least one (1) primary source and at least three (3) secondary sources. Sources should be credible and reliable (no Wikipedia). 4. The report should reflect a style and format appropriate for business, i.e., single spacing and bullet points are acceptable for the business report. 5. Headings, figures, and appendices should follow guidelines of APA style. All in-text citations and the references page should be cited according to APA style, 6th edition guidelines. Preliminary parts 1. Title page 2. Transmittal (1 page) 3. Table of contents 4. Executive summary (1 page) Report text 5. Introduction 6. Problem statement 7. Method used 8. Findings 9. Analysis 10. Conclusion Addenda 11. References 12. Appendices Your assignment must: 13. Be typed, single spaced, using Times New Roman...
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...C8057 (Research Methods in Psychology): Writing Laboratory Reports Writing Lab Reports & APA Format Structure and Content of a Laboratory Report This following provides a brief overview of the structure and content of various elements in a laboratory report, based on APA guidelines. The APA publication manual can be referred to for more detail. The purpose of a lab report is to communicate research in a clear, systematic and standardised way. Primarily, a lab report should communicate the following things: → Why did I bother? Why did I do this experiment and why is it an interesting contribution to science? → How did I do it? How did I carry out this research (this should be detailed enough so that the experiment could be replicated precisely)? → What did I find? What were the results of your study? → So What? What do your findings mean in terms of your hypotheses and what theoretical contribution do they make? IMPORTANT! The advice that we give you in this handout is not inflexible, it is a guide! For example, when we say that the title should be fewer than 15 words, the world will not end if your title is 16 words. So, please use your common sense. In case you don’t have any, the snail of sense will appear to give you some advice. Format There are several sections to a lab report: → Title → Abstract → Introduction → Method o o o o o → Results → Discussion → References → Appendix (Optional) Title Your title should ideally be fewer than 15 words. A good title alerts the reader...
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...|[pic] |Course Design Guide | | |College of Humanities | | |COM/156 Version 7 | | |University Composition and Communication II | Copyright © 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course builds upon the foundations established in COM/155. It addresses the various rhetorical modes necessary for effective college essays: narration, illustration, description, process analysis, classification, definition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and argumentation. In addition, requirements for research essays, including the use of outside sources and appropriate formatting, are considered. Policies Faculty and students will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject...
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...APA/MLA Worksheet (each question is worth 3 points.) Questions 1-7 can be found by reviewing the APA /MLA Overview Handout. For questions 8-13 use the Formatting MLA /APA Citations handout. For questions 14-15 use the In-Text citations handout. 1) What does MLA stand for? What does APA stand for? What is the purpose for them? Modern Language Association. American Psychological Association. The main purpose of using these guidelines provides consistency when writing papers. 2) In MLA, what goes in the upper-left hand corner of the first page of your paper? Where do the page numbers go? In APA, how do you format the first page? In the upper left hand corner of the first page you put your name, your instructor's name, course name, and due date. The page numbers go in the upper right hand corner. 3) What does in-text (parenthetical) citation refer to (use APA/MLA handout and In-text citations handout)? This method refers to placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or paraphrase. 4) Why do we need in-text citation? In-text citations acknowledge your source, support your argument, and help locate within the source where you got your information. 5) What is the Works Cited page and the References page for? These pages are used to list your sources that you used for your paper. 6) What are the first three rules outlined in your MLA handout under Format? Choose a standard, easy to read font. Align text to the left and do not justify...
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...C8057 (Research Methods in Psychology): Writing Laboratory Reports Writing Lab Reports & APA Format Structure and Content of a Laboratory Report This following provides a brief overview of the structure and content of various elements in a laboratory report, based on APA guidelines. The APA publication manual can be referred to for more detail. The purpose of a lab report is to communicate research in a clear, systematic and standardised way. Primarily, a lab report should communicate the following things: → Why did I bother? Why did I do this experiment and why is it an interesting contribution to science? → How did I do it? How did I carry out this research (this should be detailed enough so that the experiment could be replicated precisely)? → What did I find? What were the results of your study? → So What? What do your findings mean in terms of your hypotheses and what theoretical contribution do they make? IMPORTANT! The advice that we give you in this handout is not inflexible, it is a guide! For example, when we say that the title should be fewer than 15 words, the world will not end if your title is 16 words. So, please use your common sense. In case you don’t have any, the snail of sense will appear to give you some advice. Format There are several sections to a lab report: → Title → Abstract → Introduction → Method o o o o o → Results → Discussion → References → Appendix (Optional) Title Your title should ideally be fewer than 15 words. A good title alerts the reader...
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