COMM 489, Communication Capstone

Instructor: Ross Collins, associate professor of communication, North Dakota State University, Fargo

(Notes based on Producing the Capstone Project by Sharon L. Bender, Part 2.)

Producing the Project Proposal

Below are elements Bender recommends as part of a project proposal

• Cover page.
• Table of contents.
• Project title.
• Project statement ("executive summary"). This should be no more than a half page.
• Project objectives. Be clear and specific. You might want to bullet-list several objectives (no more than about six), and briefly explain each.
• Project design and timeline. What tasks will you need to complete to do your capstone project? When do you think you'll complete them? Be specific.
• Research. What have other people done relating to your project? How successful have they been? What problems have they encountered? How does your project add to work done by others? I do not expect a full-blown literature review here, but it should go beyond what you can find on the net or in other textbooks.
• Risk management. What problems do you foresee, and how do you think you'll deal with them?
• Project evaluation. Who do you expect will evaluate your project?

Note that this material could end up being fairly long, 10 to 30 pages. But you don't have to submit it in final form until you have completed your capstone. It may change as you work. So until you submit your final capstone project, I will look at this material as a draft, subjedt to change. You will get a grade for your drafts, five to 10 points, but only when this material becomes part of your final capstone project will you be graded for the entire semester's effort.