Capstone Project Proposal format

Chapter 1 I. Title - The title (topic) of the proposal should accurately reflect the scope and content of the study in not more than 20 words. It should be descriptive yet discrete. In many cases it is completely sufficient to out-line the core issue of the research in a few words and add a subtitle to reflect the scope. Background - The Background describes the context from which the research idea has emerged. It should provide evidence of the conditions and make the reader feel the significant of an existing problem and the urgency to study it in order to better understand it and/or contribute to its solution. The background should not exceed 1.5 pages. Statement of the Problem - This section refers to the research problem that has been detected and needs a better understanding and/or solution in the practical and/or theoretical world. It should clearly state the nature of the problem and its known or estimated magnitude/extent (maximum 1 page). Research Objectives - The research objectives are a statement of the specific aims arising directly from the general purpose of the study. We strongly recommend extracting the research objectives from the conceptual frame-work/model. Plan A students should have objectives that focus on establishing the level of their respective research variables and explaining the relationships between them, especially between the independent and the dependent variables (positivistic scientific research, which is generally a combination of a descriptive and explanatory analysis). Plan B students should have objectives that focus on a thorough problem analysis and practical problem solving (practical applied research, which generally aims at providing solut ions for real world business problems). The research objectives should spell out what the research is supposed to accomplish. V. Significance/Justification - This refers to the relevance of the study in terms of academic contributions and practical use that might be made of the findings. Note: Avoid stating too ambitious contributions of your research practice academic modesty instead of creating unrealistic expectations. Conceptual Framework - This section should comprise of a graphical model showing the variables under study and their relationships as well as an explanation of the model.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

Example: Input Process Output

Needs Analysis Different objects and layout. System Design Program Development Testing and Revisions College of Science: Faculty Management Systems (COSFMS)

Different Programming tools.

Hardware requirements

Evaluation

Figure 1. Conceptual Model The conceptual model presents the chronology of activities that will follow from the conceptualization up to the final evaluation of the project. As presented, there are three components: input, process and output. In order to develop the College of Science Faculty Management Systems, it is necessary to include the following inputs: needs analysis, different objects and layouts, different programming tools, and hardware requirements. Given these inputs, the different process involves are system design, program development and testing and revisions. Evaluation will be conducted in terms of appearance, structure and navigation, content, usability and design. (Source: Adapted from on-going research of J. C. Doctor)
We strongly advise students and supervisors to focus on developing a meaningful and researchable (measurable) model together before commencing on the other parts of the proposal. The model will give valuable guidance for ALL the other sections.

VII.

Scope of the Study - The scope of the study provides for the boundaries of the research in terms of depth of investigation, content, sample size, geographical and theoretical coverage as well as the time scope (longitudinal vs. cross-sectional).

Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature - This section deals with the analysis of existing literature on the subject and has the objective to critically discuss contributions and contradicting views as well as possibly weaknesses and gaps. Later may especially be due to the fact that a lot of the discussed literature is based on research in advanced economies and not consider issues relevant to developing countries. The Literature Review should follow the conceptual framework and reflect the objectives/questions and theories/concepts of analysis. Citation should be in accordance with the approved format. (Use APA format). Chapter 3 Methodology - This section is a detailed description of the chosen research methods and instruments. The following issues should be covered: Research design, which describes the nature and pattern, which the research intends to follow e.g. whether it is longitudinal or cross-sectional, qualitative or quantitative, descriptive, explanatory or experimental, case based or representative. Description of the source of data: o Primary data: description of the study unit, i.e. individuals or institutions; description of the population (and its geographical area) from which samples will be selected; description of the selected sampling strategies, by which the researcher will select representative elements/subjects from the population (i.e. multistage/stratified sampling, proportionate/simple random selection, judgmental); description of the sample itself. We strongly recommend to summarize the population and sample information in a table (i.e. strata, population and sample of each strata); description of the type of primary data collection, i.e. questionnaire survey or document analysis. o Secondary data: Sources of secondary data are published statistical reports (i.e. UBOS, BOU, Annual Reports, OECD, WB). o Description of data collection methods, including instruments and procedures to be used in the research. o Data quality control, which refers to reliability and validity of instruments. o Measurements, which refer to the formulae or scales in the study. o Data analysis, which involves organization and interpretation of data generated. List of References This is a list of all works cited in the proposal and should be written according to the APA format. Appendices The appendices comprise of information which is not essential in understanding the main text body but gives additional in-sights/explanations, i.e. budget, timeframe, explanatory notes or instruments. General Remarks on Proposals The following are general remarks that must be catered for in a capstone project proposal: The proposal may not exceed 15 pages of main text body (excluding title page, table of contents, list of tables and figures, list of abbreviations, list of references and appendices). The proposal must be formatted with a font size of 12 and double spaced lines. The title page should clearly indicate that it is written at MUBS, the title, author, the pursued degree (including your option, if applicable, and the research type: Plan A or B) and the month and year of submission.

A proposal should not be cauterized and the structure should not go beyond the second level. The main elements of the proposal should be numbered at the first level and the second level should only be used to further structure selected elements, such as the literature review and the methodology sections. Instead of adding sub-sections at the third level, simply use bullets. Avoid introductions to individual sub-sections, get straight to the point. All figures and tables must have a title (i.e. Figure 1: The Conceptual Framework) and indicate the source.