Capstone Frequently Asked Questions

What does “develop a deep understanding of a problem or question” mean?

The capstone is an opportunity to develop and demonstrate a deep understanding of a problem or question of interest by bringing to bear the intellectual tools and knowledge developed in the BIS program and, optionally, your professional and personal experience. This understanding will, of necessity, reflect the unique perspective that you bring to the problem and that guides your exploration and synthesis of the ideas.  A successful capstone project – one that displays this sort of deep understanding -- must exhibit a set of fundamental intellectual abilities. It must demonstrate your capacities to question, examine, reflect, critique, and make reasoned judgments. It must reflect your intellectual curiosity and the critical skills necessary to recognize excellence in your area of inquiry.  In short, the capstone is an intellectual exploration that forces you to examine critically a problem, develop a perspective on this problem and provide support in favor of your perspective.  Developing a perspective on a problem is a critical part of coming to a deep understanding of that problem.  But the emphasis must be placed on developing the perspective.  “Developing a perspective” does not mean coming to the problem with a particular preconceived point of view and then dismissing or ignoring evidence and ideas that don’t support it.  As you explore your problem from a variety of different viewpoints, your own perspective on the problem inevitably will change.  This is a mark of a successful capstone experience.  It shows that your understanding and views have developed through careful consideration of new ideas.  No two capstone projects will be the same, even if they happen to address the same questions. A capstone is not simply a report on the literature or research in some area. A capstone is not simply a set of instructions for completing a task. A capstone is not a summary of books and articles. Developing your own perspective or point of view on a problem is essential to the sort of deep understanding characteristic of the capstone. This requires your own interpretation and synthesis of your research.  The capstone thus reflects something original. It presents and supports intellectual work that you’ve had to do on your own.

What does the capstone look like?

The capstone is an exercise in developing and defending an idea. At its core is a single idea (or perhaps a closely related set of ideas) that you want to explore or defend. Often, the central idea is the answer to a question you’re asking or one that has been asked by a scholar in your field. That means that there are two central problems you have to solve in writing a capstone: (1) Find a suitable question and clearly articulate your idea.   (2) Find a way, or a variety of ways, through thorough and careful investigation of defending it (allowing yourself to be open to differing and convincing evidence and views). In writing a capstone, you must express an idea to your reader and then give your reader a reason for thinking that this idea is valid or at least plausible. The expression of the idea is often called —in academia-speak — the thesis. The defense of that idea —the reason for thinking that it is true —is called the argument.  Argument simply means the reason(s) for thinking that an idea or claim is true. Given this definition, the capstone is really no more than a discussion of a reason (or a set of reasons) for thinking that an idea or claim is valid. This discussion always must be the result of thorough examination and thoughtful analysis of evidence, especially that which draws upon new and even opposing information.  It is this discussion that is the tangible evidence of your deep understanding of the problem. In other words, your capstone consists of three things: the question; your supposition regarding that question (the thesis); and an extended analysis (including your examination on evidence) and explanation of why the initial thesis, or a modification based on your exploration and evidence, is sensible or adequate (the argument).

How do I begin?

You begin with an idea that you find interesting or compelling. The rest of the capstone experience can be seen as the ongoing refinement, modification and development of this idea.  Writing a capstone is taking an idea of whatever quality and improving it by working on it through a process of rewriting. It’s an organic process that begins with curiosity piqued by a question, moves on to possible answers to the question, and then pursues in some depth the reasons for and against these answers. The result of the process is a deeper understanding of the issues reflected in your original question. This understanding comes through your own synthesis of the ideas and evidence developed in your research.

What are the major stages of the capstone experience?

The capstone experience is an iterative process in which you move from a topic to a properly scoped problem to set of questions to tentative answers supported by research. It is marked by three milestones:  1)      Finding a capstone topic and selecting a capstone mentor 2)      Enrolling in ISPS 399 -The Proseminar 3)      Enrolling in ISCP 400 -The Capstone Project  At a minimum the process will extend over two full semesters. The sooner you begin thinking about the capstone the better (and less stressful) the experience will be. No matter where you are in the BIS program, you can begin right now by collecting ideas and potential topics.

When do I begin?

Since the capstone process begins with an idea it can start at any time. Earlier is better than later. Class, work, conversations with students, faculty and colleagues, as well as discussions with friends and family all offer opportunities to capture ideas that you find particularly interesting and would like to explore in more depth. Your faculty advisor can also be a strong ally in developing and honing ideas.   Focus is the key. Pay attention to thoughts and questions as they occur. Keep a journal. Take notes. Talk to people. Set aside 5 or 10 minutes every couple of days to “free write” about one of these questions and see where it takes you.  Keep a capstone file to collect all your ideas.  Remember that the capstone is a process.  It’s not an event. Your idea will develop into a question, into a thesis, into an extended argument, into the capstone -- but not overnight and not all at one time.  And it won’t happen without help from your capstone mentor.

How do I find a capstone mentor?

Once you have an idea and a question in mind it’s time to find a capstone faculty mentor. A mentor needs to be a UVa faculty member, in BIS or another school. Your mentor will serve as both an experienced guide through the capstone process and an information resource about your particular topic. Don’t expect to find a mentor right away. This process may take several months.   The first step.  Attend a required Proseminar/Capstone Information Session, dates to be announced. The second step. Submit the Intent to Take the Proseminar Form to John Corlett if your last name starts with A-L, or Ann Marie Plunkett if your last name starts with M-Z.  Once your Intent form is submitted, either John or Ann Marie will be in touch to approve your topic and assist you in finding a mentor.

What role does my mentor play?

Your mentor wears two hats.  First, your mentor is a guide through the capstone process.  Second, your mentor is as a domain expert who has both a deep knowledge in your area of inquiry, as well an understanding of the kind of research you will be doing.  Your mentor will help you figure out what is an appropriate question or problem to try to solve and what would be a reasonable and doable project around that problem.  You will be in consultation with your mentor before, during and after the Proseminar.  Whereas the Proseminar will deal with general aspects of developing a Capstone Proposal, the mentor will first help you focus on the particulars of your proposal and then guide you in moving from the approved proposal to a completed Capstone Project.  During the semester in which you are registered for the Capstone Project ISCP 400, and in which you will be working much more independently, you will need to have a method and schedule for communicating with your mentor.  There will need to be regular check-ins and opportunities for feedback, and you’ll need to take the initiative.  How to do develop this plan and, in fact, a productive working relationship with your mentor will be discussed in the Proseminar.

How does the Proseminar fit into my project?

The Proseminar is designed to help you better understand the fundamental aspects of inquiry, research, and project design, and to clarify your thinking about various elements of the Capstone Proposal and Project.  It also will guide you through the steps of preparing that proposal and help you keep on track with your writing.  Even though the proposal is short, it can be harder and longer than you think to complete the task of developing an approved proposal.  The last semester in which you can register for Proseminar ISPS 399 is your second to last semester in BIS.  You can take the course a semester or two earlier if you like.  You receive 3 credits for the Proseminar and you must earn a C (2.0) or better in order for it to count for the degree.  Getting a C requires an approved proposal.

What is the Capstone Proposal?

The Capstone Proposal is a statement of your intention to do a research project and the plan you will use to complete the project.  It needs to convince the reader that you have a clear idea and question, a thought-through methodology (way to solve your problem or answer your question), a project that is doable within the scope of the degree requirements, and that you are capable and ready to do it.  Specific elements include: proposed title of the project an overview a structural outline a statement of the thesis, question, problem, or purpose the proposed methodology a statement indicating approval by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), if appropriate an assessment of the student’s capability in the proposed methodology a preliminary bibliography identification of any intended collaborators within or outside of the University, including an explanation of why a team-based or collaborative approach is being proposed for the project the name of the faculty mentor statement describing the expected final product, if other than or in addition to a standard academic paper.

How is the capstone graded?

The Proseminar ISPS 399 is graded by the instructors and is based on your work in class and your proposal.  Your mentor must approve of your proposal and you must receive a C (2.0) or better in order for the course to count for degree credit.  The Capstone Project ISCP 400 is graded by your mentor and also requires a C (2.0) for degree credit.  Remember, you can only proceed with the project when your proposal is approved.

What is the Capstone Presentation?

Having achieved a “deep understanding” of some problem or question which you really care about, you deserve a chance to talk about it in a public (but not too large) forum.  The Capstone Presentation is your opportunity to do so.  It is not separately graded but should be a serious endeavor.  Faculty will help you prepare for it.  Typically, several students present their work for about 10-15 minutes to an audience of students, mentors, and faculty.  If you choose, you can ask for feedback and questions from the audience.  To make for a potentially more polished and clear presentation, students are strongly urged to use power point, slides, or some kind of technical or visual aid.