Abstract
• Use no more than 250 words
• Include a statement about the problem you addressed (Your “research question”)
• Briefly describe the participants
• Briefly describe the goal/methods for change
• Briefly describe the results of the change project
• Briefly include conclusions/recommendations.
• Keep the abstract to one paragraph in length.
• At end of abstract, include “keywords:” with up to six terms relevant to the project. For example: “keywords: action research; ethical leadership; mentoring; mindfulness”
Acknowledgements
• Use this space to acknowledge those who encouraged you on the journey!
[Title Here, up to 12 Words, on One to Two Lines] CHAPTER 1: Introduction[For capstone lab module number one, you only complete chapter one of this paper template.] [The Topic] [For this section, fill in the topic in the heading. What is the topic for your project? Provide a brief description of the issue you plan to address. Be sure to use at least one source and cite it in this section.] [The Topic’s] Social Significance
[For this section, address these questions: How widespread is your topic? Who is impacted by it? What are the costs and benefits? Be sure to use at least two sources by paraphrasing, summarizing, and using direct quotes in this section. Cite your sources in the APA style.] [The Topic’s] Personal Significance
[For this section, explain why this topic is important to you. Discuss how the topic relates to your core values and personal experience. You may use and cite outside sources in this section.]
Conclusion
[Your first draft may omit the conclusion. As you get closer to your project, you will add a paragraph (conclusion) to address how your specific project relates to the topic. This paragraph will serve as a transition to the literature review.
After having introduced and provided some context for the topic, draw connections between your project and the topic discussed above. In what ways does your project address that topic? How is the social and personal significance related to the project? In the final draft, complete, this chapter should be 4-5 pages.]
CHAPTER 2: Literature Review
[Literature Review Instructions: For capstone lab number two, you will revise chapter one, based on feedback from your mentor and then write a literature review for chapter two. From the topic chosen in lab assignment one, choose a specific need or opportunity relevant to your program. Review and examine ten to fifteen sources related to the need or opportunity surveying both theory and practice. Write a literature review synthesizing the reviewed sources. Use at least five sources pertaining to theory and another five related to practice. Follow the APA guidelines. This chapter should be five to six pages. You will add more sources in future revisions.]
Introduction
[This section will serve as an introduction for your short literature review. Please provide
the context and detail for the need or opportunity that has been identified. Be sure to include how this need or opportunity is relevant to your program.
In a paragraph or two, explain your literature review research process. Include in this section terms you searched, the database you used, and the time frame of your research. This is to provide the readers with a context in which your literature review was performed to eliminate any ambiguity as to your research parameters.]
[Synthesis of Theory]
[Review at least five theoretical sources related to the identified need or opportunity.
Synthesize the reviewed materials.]
[Synthesis of Practice]
[Review at least five practical sources related to the identified need or opportunity.
Synthesize the reviewed materials.]
Conclusion
[As you are making final revisions to this chapter, provide a clear explanation of how your literature review influenced the design of your project. Make the connection clear.]
CHAPTER 3: Research Plan
[Project Goal]
[For capstone lab number three, you will revise chapters one and two and add an action plan. In this section, you will address the specific change you want to make in your specific context. In chapters one and two, you worked to define and describe a field/topic that deserves your attention that carries social and personal significance. You looked at what has been done both in theory
and practice through the research in your literature review. With these two chapters and your conversations with your mentor in mind, carefully craft a narrative that addresses the social change you want to make or bring to the community to which you belong or are connected.
Explain briefly what this change is and why you want to see this change take place. If you see research question(s) are appropriate for your project, please write it/them.]
[Project Methods]
[Drawing from the goals you narrated, design an action plan for your project that you can complete during the capstone class. The project can be longer than eight weeks, as long as it is IRB approved in advance. Note: you will have to complete the research report by the end of eight weeks, so allow yourself about two weeks to write the final report. Keeping these time constraints in mind, design a research project that you will be able to start as soon as your IRB is approved.
Provide as many details as possible in this plan. You may use a chart to map out your eight weeks. This plan will guide you through your project, so spend enough time to prepare and write the logistical action plans to have a clear direction for your project.
Once you have made the chart/table for your eight weeks, provide a rationale for the actions you plan on taking. This is where you will have to explain the method of your project.
In the reading for this module, you will find different methods that are commonly used in action research, but you are not limited to those guidelines. Find a way to explain why you are conducting your research in the way you have planned – THAT is a method, your method. Therefore, you need to support your method by giving reasons for its unique and appropriate nature for your project.
Be sure to include who your research participants are, what you are actually doing, how you are carrying out the action and when this project took/taking (time frame) place.]
[Project Measurements]
[In this section, you will have to describe what you are measuring in your project to provide results. In the design of your project plan, you may want to think about how you can measure successes/failures of your proposed project. Once you have determined what to measure, you will have to explain how you will measure them. Like the section above, you are the expert in your project; explain why you chose to measure what you want to measure and the methods with which you are measuring your project’s outcome. Share with the reader the logic and thought process behind the measurements of your project.]
CHAPTER 4: Measurements, Results, and Interpretations
[Actions Taken]
[You will complete chapters four and five in your capstone class.
In this first section of chapter four, tell the reader what happened – “Actions taken.”
In a narrative form or a chart, explain how the project was executed. Be sure to account for any deviations from the original plan designed in chapter three.]
[Results]
[In the second part of this chapter, provide an organized presentation of the data from your project. This part can be done in different ways – chart, table, interviews, etc.]
Conclusions
[In the third part of this chapter, tell the reader about your conclusions or “findings.” This is where you work with your data to draw your conclusions. The process of drawing your conclusions will require you to interpret the raw data you collected to put in certain categories or groups to show that you have understood and interpreted the raw materials.]
CHAPTER 5: Reflections and Recommendations
Project Summary
[Briefly summarize the goal for your project, the actions you took, and the results you saw.]
Reflections
[Reflect on the project in its entirety. What did you learn? What were your highest moments as a researcher? What were your lowest moments? If you could do this project all over again from scratch, what would you change? Or keep? This section can be as general or detailed as you wish. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your project.]
Recommendations/Conclusions
[What would be your next steps from this project? What are your recommendations for future researchers? How would you recommend addressing the weaknesses of the project? Would you be able to scale it up? How would you do that? What would that look like? What are your thoughts on the sustainability of this project?]