VI. Creating your Capstone research proposal
It is in your Capstone research proposal that you will take the essential question, primary research question and secondary research questions you have been developing in relation to that essential question, and define your actual project in greater detail.
Your Capstone research proposals followed the development of two sets of essential and research questions, both of which have been approved. It’s then that you will have to choose which project you want to pursue—you’ll complete a “Statement of Project Choice” (see Appendix C)--and the chosen project is the project for which you will do a full-blown Capstone research proposal, as described in this section.
The template for your Capstone research proposal is located in Appendix B, for the Capstone research proposal budget is in Appendix B1 (and the rubric used to evaluate it may be found in Appendix B2).
In the first draft of your proposal, you will be asked to do the following:
It’s our hope that this research proposal will be stellar, that your research proposals will be approved after a first draft, and you can move on to the next step. Often, however, the proposal still needs work and you will be asked to revise your draft.
It is in your Capstone research proposal that you will take the essential question, primary research question and secondary research questions you have been developing in relation to that essential question, and define your actual project in greater detail.
Your Capstone research proposals followed the development of two sets of essential and research questions, both of which have been approved. It’s then that you will have to choose which project you want to pursue—you’ll complete a “Statement of Project Choice” (see Appendix C)--and the chosen project is the project for which you will do a full-blown Capstone research proposal, as described in this section.
The template for your Capstone research proposal is located in Appendix B, for the Capstone research proposal budget is in Appendix B1 (and the rubric used to evaluate it may be found in Appendix B2).
In the first draft of your proposal, you will be asked to do the following:
- create a working title for your project
- restate your essential question (from your essential question template--the final draft version)
- restate the primary research question (from the same essential question template, final draft)
- restate the secondary research questions (and make sure these are fairly comprehensive and extensive now)
- describe what your final product will look like
- identify how the research will “advance the frontiers of knowledge” and/will matter and be significant in a meaningful way.
- anticipate potential pitfalls or problems that might occur during your research and project creation phases
- create a tentative plan, in three steps, to include the following:
- locate and review literature related to your project, including printed/published sources and online sources
- identify data collection strategies (this might take multiple forms--surveys, test groups, interviews, focus groups, observations, facilitating workshops, etc.--and will differ from project to project)
- identify field research that might be required and/or useful to your project (e.g.--visiting key sites, meeting with and interviewing outside specialists, using outside facilities, observing workshops)
- identify what you will do to ensure that your work reaches a larger audience
- identify the tools you will need to complete this effort, including any tools that might currently be unavailable to you (this might include equipment, software, building materials,props, machines, camera-related items)
- create a budget. This is key. You will need to identify what you need to purchase for your project. You will be required to specify quantities, an approximate cost per item, the source of your item (and pricing), and a brief explanation of why you need this item.
It’s our hope that this research proposal will be stellar, that your research proposals will be approved after a first draft, and you can move on to the next step. Often, however, the proposal still needs work and you will be asked to revise your draft.