The Capstone Milestone Timeline

The following is a list of the capstone milestone assignments due each week and what is required for each one. Prior to the course, review this timeline so that you know what will be expected for each assignment each week.

Part 1:

Topic Proposal

Your topic proposal should be 2 - 3 pages and should include the following items and address the following questions.

An APA formatted title page (1 page)

The topic you wish to pursue. (1 paragraph)

• One paragraph describing the overall topic you wish to explore.

o It may be somewhat broad at this point and it may imply a problem. Use the resources in your course materials to help you search for ideas.

Identify your purpose: Why are you interested in this topic? (2-3 paragraphs)

• Specifically explain what it is that fascinates you or draws you to this topic.
• Clearly describe the relevance of the topic in the field today.
• Identify a purpose for a paper on this topic:

o What might exploration of this problem accomplish?
o What is your intended goal?
! To evoke change
! To make new connections (new cause and effect)
! To introduce a new theory, solution, idea

o Is this goal realistic?

Define and describe your intended target audience. (1 paragraph)

• Be specific: identify age, gender, and educational, socioeconomic and cultural demographics as relevant.

• Who will benefit most from knowing about this topic? Remember, those who think differently about the topic may be the audience you need to address.

• Identify only one target audience to address in the paper. (This will help you maintain focus.)

Provide a list of 4 - 8 research questions. (List 4-8 questions)

While you have not done any formal research on the topic yet, explore databases and websites to help you identify questions that are being asked by others and to help you articulate questions of your own within the current dialog. Use the resources in your course materials to help you search.

• Identify questions that you can answer through research.

o Questions about morality and beliefs, while worthy, are not research questions.
• Pose questions worth exploring.
• Not too narrow, not too broad.
• Keep them intellectually challenging, not too basic.

Identify a problem within the topic and draft an initial problem statement (this is your thesis). (1 sentence)

• Identify a problem from your research questions and state it as a statement.

• The problem statement should be specific in nature and indicate the focus of your paper.

o Not too narrow, not too broad
o Intellectually challenging

• Take special care to narrow the topic you started with by locating a very specific problem or argument within the larger scholarly discussion you have explored.

Draft a hypothesis (1 paragraph)

"A hypothesis is a logical supposition, a reasonable guess, or a suggested answer to a problem statement or research question. A hypothesis provides further direction for the research effort by setting forth a possible explanation for an occurrence." (Research Techniques for the Health Sciences, 5th Edition, p.18)

• State your hypothesis clearly and concisely.

• Explain how it expresses a relationship between two or more variables (identify the variables).

• Suggest how it can be tested.

Adhere to APA formatting throughout

Part 2

The Literature Review (Brief)

Write a 1- 2 paragraph literature review (of one source) that includes the following:
• Your problem statement (thesis)
• Your hypothesis

• The research question (may be a clinical question or your hypothesis) you intend to address with this source

• A list of 3 - 5 key words/ phrases used to search the research question
• The APA reference for the source you will use for the literature review
• A review of the literature that includes:

o A comprehensive analysis of the data (include in-text APA citations as needed)

o A review of the validity of the data and the findings

o An assessment of the relevance of the source in addressing your problem statement (thesis)

o Your unique contribution: Identify ideas not addressed, gaps in the data or analysis, or new problems that emerge from your review of the literature.

Part 3

The Annotated Bibliography

Include the following in your annotated bibliography:

• APA citations and annotations for four (4) sources you deem relevant to your problem statement (thesis).

For each source:

• Cite the source in proper APA format. The citations should be organized in alphabetical order by author as in an APA References page.

• Follow with a brief annotation that summarizes the source (approximately 3 - 5 sentences). You may quote from the source, but do not copy and paste from the abstract.

• In 1 or 2 sentences, explain and evaluate the source's relevance and significance to your hypothesis. Does this support or discredit your hypothesis?

• Use an academic tone and style.