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Instructions
General information about the project options available to you can be found in the Senior Capstone Project Options and Requirements handout under Content > Assignments & Resources > Senior Capstone Project Toolkit. Specific project objectives and requirements for each capstone project option can be found in the second handout in that folder titled Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the Graded Interim Assignments. Additional resources to help you complete your independent project have been provided in separate folders for each project in the Senior Capstone Project Toolkit. To find the resources for your project, follow this bread crumb trail: Content > Assignments & Resources > Senior Capstone Project Toolkit > Additional Senior Capstone Project Resources > select your project option’s folder. You are encouraged to use the rubrics for your project’s assessment as a checklist for completing it:
Option 1 ~ Research Report Senior Capstone Project
Option 2 ~ Business Report or Business Proposal Senior Capstone Project
Option 3 ~ Executive Speech Senior Capstone Project
Option 4 ~ Media Kit Senior Capstone Project
Please submit your assignment by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Week 8 (note day!). Assignments generally cannot be accepted after the class has ended.
©2022 University of Maryland Global Campus
Due on May 5, 2024 11:59 PM
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Rubric Name: Option 1 ~ Research Report Senior Capstone Project_300_points
Senior Capstone Project Options and Requirements
Overview
The Senior Capstone Project is a comprehensive, professional, research-based project that you will develop in steps, some as discussion activities, some as graded assignments. This document describes the four types of projects and their components which are available to you for your last Communication Studies degree requirement.
Option 1: Research Report
Option 2: Business Reports
Option 3: Executive Speech
Option 4: Media Kit
Assessment will be based on the assumption you know and can execute the skills applicable to the project that you have chosen to complete, which would be skills learned in the listed courses or similar courses that you have taken at another institution. You should select the Senior Capstone Project that will best exemplify the Communications Studies knowledge and skills you can offer an employer. For example, if you have never taken a speech class, it would probably not be wise of you to select the Executive Speech option for your Senior Capstone Project.
Note: You may need to right-click to open some links here in a new tab or window.
Option 1: Research Report
Overview
Description
Required Components
Graded Deliverables
Overview
This section contains information about the Research Report assignment that will help you decide if it is the right option for your Senior Capstone Project.
Coursework Preparation
You will be best prepared for this assignment if you have completed an upper-level writing course (such as UMGC’s WRTG 391, 393, or 394), an upper-level research methods course (such as COMM 480) and 9 credits of upper-level coursework in the communication studies discipline (such as UMGC’s COMM 300 and some combination of COMM 302, COMM 390, COMM 400, SPCH 324, and SPCH 470).
This assignment requires strong research and writing skills, and a deep understanding of business audiences and business documents.
If you are interested in this Senior Capstone Project and are uncertain whether you have prepared well enough to fulfill its requirements, contact your instructor.
Description
If you select this assignment, you will
conduct an original investigation into a timely issue, problem, or question related to one of the communication studies major areas (human/speech communication, mass communication, media studies, journalism, professional writing, group communication, interpersonal communication, and so forth)
write a research report that defines the issue, its history, and its significance, and offers a meaningful analysis for a specific audience, including recommendations for change, possible solutions, or comparative advantages
Sample Topics/Questions
The following list offers some guidance on developing a topic for this Senior Capstone Project.
What is the impact of social media on organizational public relations efforts in a specific realm/industry?
What is the current state of diversity training in the US corporate environment or among multinational corporations? Based on current research in the communication studies field, what recommendations can you make to improve the training?
Select a public issue or problem and analyze the public discourse surrounding it from five different stakeholders.
Investigate the current trend in journalism toward hyperlocal journalism and offer some perspective on what impact this trend may have on the journalism industry.
Investigate, analyze, and evaluate a particular communication plan and/or procedure for a specific issue or organization. Make recommendations to specific stakeholders to make the plan/procedure more effective.
Required Components
The report’s content should be compiled in this order:
1. A Cover Page formatted according to American Psychological Association manuscript rules.
2. An Abstract summarizing the contents of your proposal and concluding with a list of key terms as a separate line (or lines). Include keywords list at end of abstract.
3. A Table of Contents with the page numbers where each section begins.
4. A List of Illustrations (title and page number only). Two illustrations are required.
5. A series of text sections introduced by Boldface Headings that include the following (but not limited to): Introduction, Theme, Background, Conclusion.
6. At least two informative (not merely decorative) illustrations presented on the same page as the text that discusses each; these graphics should be numbered and properly sourced in APA format. If they were generated by yourself then the source for each is Author; if you got their information from another source (Jones, for example) and presented it in a table or chart, then the source is Author, derived from Jones 2012.
7. A References page where your eight or more sources are presented in alphabetic order. These sources must actually be cited in the text and presented in this section and in the text in American Psychological Association format.
You will need to locate at least eight sources from at least 3 different source types. No more than two of your sources can be from interviews. No more than three of any other type of source may be counted toward the minimum number of eight references (although you certainly may use more sources). These eight sources must include peer-reviewed scholarly or professional journal articles.
The bulk of your research should come from the UMGC library’s databases.
8. Appendices.
9. Pagination. Front matter (Abstract through List of Illustrations) should be in lower case Roman numerals; the remainder in Arabic.
10. Word count. The body of the report should be at least 5,000 words.
These components should be submitted as one file.
Required Style
All elements of the report should follow American Psychological Association (APA) manuscript and documentation style rules.
It should follow American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style and include a minimum of eight sources (at least five of which are academic secondary sources).
Remember to proof your own work before submitting it.
Graded Deliverables
You will be responsible for the following graded interim assignments, which you will complete during the course of the development of your Senior Capstone Project.
Project Proposal Memo (addressed to professor) with Audience Analysis
Annotated Bibliography Memo (addressed to professor)
Draft Project to Class
Draft Project Peer Review Memo (two, each addressed to classmates)
Final Written Report
For instructions on how to complete the graded interim assignments that you’ll be doing for this project before you assemble it into your final project, see the Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the Graded Interim Assignments under Content > Course Resources > Senior Capstone Project Toolkit.
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Option 2: Business Reports
Overview
Description
Required Components
Graded Deliverables
Overview
This section contains information about the various Research Reports that you could pursue for this Senior Capstone Project option.
Coursework Preparation
You will be best prepared for this assignment if you have completed an upper-level writing course (such as UMGC’s COMM 390, WRTG 393, or WRTG 394), and upper-level research methods course (such as UMGC’s COMM 480) and 9 credits of coursework specialization in the communication studies discipline (such as UMGC’s COMM 300 and some combination of COMM 302, COMM 400, SPCH 324, and SPCH 470).
This assignment requires strong research and writing skills, and a deep understanding of business audiences and business documents.
If you are interested in this Senior Capstone Project and are uncertain whether you have prepared well enough to fulfill its requirements, contact your instructor.
Description
If you select this option, you will write an analytical or persuasive business report that provides a specific audience with a research-based review or solution to a problem or question related to business, technology, or the workplace. Your report should be written for a specific audience who can act on the information in the report.
The types of business report appropriate for this assignment are:
Analytical Reports – designed to help managers make decisions about problems and opportunities
Problem-solving Report
Investigatory or Trouble-shooting Report
Feasibility and Justification Report
Business Proposal – designed to help get products, plans, or projects accepted by others
Internal Proposal (solicited or unsolicited)
External Proposal (solicited in response to an RFP or unsolicited)
Sample Topics/Questions
The following list offers some guidance on developing a topic for this Senior Capstone Project.
Write a report for your current or past supervisor that investigates a specific problem at work, analyzes its causes, and recommends a solution. This problem could be something like an inefficient inventory process, lagging sales numbers in a particular region, or unprofessional customer-service attitudes in a particular department.
Write a report for a current or past supervisor that analyzes the feasibility of implementing a specific type of benefits program for employees (e.g., mental health, wellness, professional development, etc.).
Write an analytical report for your IT supervisor at work that answers this question: Should our firm convert from password authentication to biometric authentication for sensitive areas or functions? Investigate the problem, analyze advantages and disadvantages of the technology, and provide cost estimates.
Required Components
The report’s content should be compiled in this order:
1. A Letter of Transmittal or Routing Slip addressed to the Decision Maker through any approval authorities required.
2. A Title Page including the Decision Maker’s name and title, your name and title, the title of the proposal, and the date submitted.
3. An Executive Summary summarizing the contents of your report or proposal.
4. A Table of Contents with the page numbers where each section begins.
5. A List of Illustrations (title and page number only). Two illustrations are required.
6. A series of text sections introduced by Boldface Headings that include the following (but not limited to): Introduction, Issue, Problem, Background, Findings, Solution, and Recommended Action. The report should be at least 5,000 words (10 single-spaced pages, with integrated visuals).
7. At least two informative (not merely decorative) illustrations presented on the same page as the text that discusses each; these graphics should be numbered and properly sourced in APA format. If they were generated by yourself then the source for each is Author; if you got their information from another source (Jones, for example) and presented it in a table or chart, then the source is Author, derived from Jones 2012.
8. A References page where your eight or more sources are presented in alphabetic order. These sources must actually be cited in the text and presented in this section and in the text in American Psychological Association format.
You will need to locate at least eight sources from at least 3 different source types. No more than two of your sources can be from interviews. No more than three of any other type of source may be counted toward the minimum number of eight references (although you certainly may use more sources). These eight sources must include peer-reviewed scholarly or professional journal articles.
The bulk of your research should come from the UMGC library’s databases.
9. Appendices.
10. Pagination. Front matter (Abstract through List of Illustrations) should be in lower case Roman numerals; the remainder in Arabic.
Submit the components of your project as one file.
Required Style
The body of the report or proposal has a required minimum length of 5,000 words.
Its reference list should follow American Psychological Association (APA) documentation rules.
Graded Deliverables
You will be responsible for the following graded interim assignments, which you will complete during the course of the development of your Senior Capstone Project.
Project Proposal Memo (addressed to professor) with Audience Analysis
Annotated Bibliography Memo (addressed to professor)
Draft Project to Class
Draft Project Peer Review Memo (two, each addressed to classmates)
Final Written Report
For instructions on how to complete the graded interim assignments that you’ll be doing for this project before you assemble it into your final project, see the Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the Graded Interim Assignments under Content > Course Resources > Senior Capstone Project Toolkit.
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Option 3: Executive Speech
Overview
Description
Required Components
Graded Deliverables
Evaluation
Overview
This section contains information about the Executive Speech assignment that will help you decide if it is the right option for your Senior Capstone Project.
Coursework Preparation
You will be best prepared for this assignment if you have completed an upper-level writing course (such as UMGC’s COMM 390, WRTG 391, WRTG 393, or WRTG 394), an upper-level research methods course (such as COMM 480), and SPCH 100 or some other public speaking course.
This assignment requires strong research and writing skills, and a deep understanding of rhetoric.
If you are interested in this Senior Capstone Project and are uncertain whether you have prepared well enough to fulfill its requirements, contact your instructor.
Description
If you select this option, you will write and record a speech to be given by a specific speaker of your choosing, to a specific audience in a specific situation of your choice. The speaker must be a real person and the issue must be genuine. The speech should be a persuasive one that argues for a particular side of an issue or for a particular action to be taken.
Sample Topics/Scenarios
The following list offers some guidance on developing a topic for this Senior Capstone Project.
Write a speech to be delivered by Dr. Andrew Weil to Congress in which he evaluates and recommends changes to the FDA’s current food and nutrition pyramid.
Write a speech to be delivered by Senator Barbara Mikulski to the U.S. Senate, taking a stand on any recent legislation or issue (for example, English-only laws, illegal-immigrant legislation, military-funding legislation, or budgetary issues).
Write a speech to be delivered by Dr. Barry Sears to a meeting of physicians in which he recommends whether or not pregnant women should eat fish.
Write a speech to be delivered by a specific sports commissioner to a public body about some issue in the sport.
Write a speech to be delivered by your PTA president to your local school board, advocating some issue related to education in your district (for example, arguing for the banning [or unbanning] of certain materials, such as books or films; arguing for additional funding for local sports teams; or arguing for funding for It’s Academic teams).
Write a speech to be delivered by your state legislator to the state legislature on a state issue (for example, cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay).
Required Components
Your recorded speech should include the following elements:
an introduction that establishes credibility for the speaker and contains an icebreaker as well as background information on the issue
a persuasive body—Emphasize at least three points that you want your audience to take with them when they leave. Remember, you are writing for the ear, and the ear will remember more if you stick to your points and discuss them in a variety of ways (allow about six minutes). You must decide how best to make a positive case for your position and how to address the main counterarguments or objections that you would anticipate.
a conclusion that summarizes your case and recommends future action (allow about two minutes)
The speech must be written for delivery hypothetically by a real person (not yourself) whom you have identified and researched to learn his or her views on your speech’s topic. It must be on an issue of importance and intended for delivery and an identified event and location to an audience you have researched for your project proposal.
Its written script must
begin with a Title Page
include an Introduction after title page that describes the intended speaker for the speech, the audience analysis, background information on the issue prompting the speech, and details on the event or situation for which speech would be delivered.
be double-spaced in any 16-point serif font
contain page numbers
reflect research from at least eight sources which have been cited in the script according to American Psychological Association documentation rules
contain a reference list formatted according to in-text APA-style citations from eight different authoritative and credible sources, of which no more than three should be peer-reviewed scholarly or professional journal articles relevant to the topic of the speech. The bulk of your research should come from the UMGC library’s databases.
The written components of the project should be submitted as one file, with a link provided to the recorded speech.
For the drafts assignment, students who elect to complete the Executive Speech will be expected to record the speech (as a YouTube or other video) and present it to the class. The video may need to be revised for final submission to your instructor, depending on the feedback it receives during the draft stage.
Required Length and Style
The typical speech rate for native English speakers in the U.S. is 120-150 words per minute. Teleprompters typically are set for 150 wpm, 180 wpm, and 228 wpm. The speech you craft for this project must be 9-10 minutes.
You can use this speech-length calculator to determine how many words you will probably need to write for a 9-10-minute speech.
One you’ve written the speech, you can use words-to-minutes converter to calculate how many minutes it will probably run upon delivery.
Some additional hints include:
Use spoken English. Read it aloud yourself to make sure you have written as we speak rather than as we tend to write.
Remember that someone else will be delivering this speech, not you. Do not include any personal information about yourself in the speech.
Grammatical errors are embarrassing and hurt the speaker’s credibility with the audience. Make your speech error-free.
Every word in the speech must be true and accurate. Do not invent scenarios. Do some research to find true anecdotes that are relevant to the topic.
You may use information from your research, but every word you write must be your own. Do not copy a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph—anything—word for word. Rewrite everything.
Be sure to cite or somehow give credit to your sources in your speech.
Graded Deliverables
You will be responsible for the following graded interim assignments, which you will complete during the course of the development of your Senior Capstone Project.
Project Proposal Memo (addressed to professor) describing the speaker, issue, and audience
Annotated Bibliography Memo (addressed to professor)
Video-recorded speech to Class (using YouTube or other video technology) with accompanying draft script
Draft Project Peer Review Memo (two, each addressed to a specific classmate)
Finalized video-recorded speech and accompanying written speech with references in APA style
For instructions on how to complete the graded interim assignments that you’ll be doing for this project before you assemble it into your final project, see the Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the Graded Interim Assignments under Content > Course Resources > Senior Capstone Project Toolkit.
Evaluation
Your written and oral speech will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Format
How well does your speech follow instructions? How readable is it for your speaker?
Style
This category includes spelling and grammar (make it perfect), fluency, and paragraph development.
Rhetoric
How well have you adjusted your material for spoken delivery? How well have you adjusted your material for your audience? How successfully have you convinced your instructor and fellow students (who will serve as your audience for this assignment) of your knowledge and authority?
Do a lot of research on your topic so that your speech doesn’t sound like it’s only your opinion. Back up every opinion with hard evidence.
Content
How well have you summarized your research and organized it for oral delivery? How accurate are your words? How effectively have you used true anecdotes and statistics? How effectively have you incorporated quotes?
Your speech should contain no spelling, grammar, or factual errors. Include 8–10 references from authoritative sources.
Length
The client will decide whether to use the speech you have developed, based in part on how well you deliver it. Use good eye contact, pitch, pacing, and diction while presenting the speech. The speech should be between 9 and 10 minutes long, no less or more. Use the script timers in the Course Resources to help you with the length of your speech.
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Option 4: Media Kit
Overview
Description
Required Components
Graded Deliverables
Evaluation
Overview
This section contains information about the Media Kit (also known as a Press Kit) assignment that will help you decide if it is the right option for your Senior Capstone Project.
Coursework Preparation
You will be best prepared for this assignment if you have completed a newswriting course (such as UMGC’s JOUR 201), a basic PR course (such as UMGC’s JOUR 330), an upper-level mass communication theory or media literacy course (such as COMM 302), and a research methods course (such as UMGC’s COMM 480).
This assignment requires strong research and newswriting skills, and a deep understanding of the mass media and their audiences.
If you are interested in this Senior Capstone Project and are uncertain whether you have prepared well enough to fulfill its requirements, contact your instructor.
Description
If you select this option, you will construct a media kit (also known as a press kit) designed to be used by members of specific media, perhaps presented at a press conference. You should prepare this media kit for a special event or promotion, an issue-related news conference, a crisis, or a new product, service, or process.
Required Components
Your media kit must have the following five components:
folder cover design and logo for a 9- by 12-inch two-pocket folder
cover letter and contents page
press release: use a summary news lead and inverted-pyramid style; your writing style should reflect Associated Press style rules (250–500 words)
fact sheet and/or backgrounder (400–500 words with a reference list for at least eight sources, formatted according to American Psychological Association documentation style rules)
feature story or position paper in support of the cause, event, or organization (700–800 words, also written according to Associated Press style rules)
You should also include one of the following additional suggested items for media preparation:
YouTube video to promote the product, organization, or event (2–3 minutes)
report on plans for a media event—where, with whom, activities, and when—all focused on promoting the product, organization, or event (300–400 words)
potential questions and answers for the head of the organization to prepare for a press conference (300–400 words)
report on a strategic plan for new-media press materials: Facebook, website, Twitter, and so forth (300–400 words)
Each page of your media kit (cover letter/contents page, press release, fact sheet/backgrounder, feature story or position paper) should look as it would if you were actually handing it to journalists as part of a professional media kit and also publishing it on a website for future use.
Design each page in a unified way so it is clear that all of the pages belong to the same kit. You may use the logo, elements of the cover design, or other relevant graphics, colors, or designs on each page.
Remember: A press release always features a logo. (You have a lot of leeway with your “interior” design. Make it creative, simple, consistent, relevant, and professional … and have fun!)
Submit the project to your instructor as one file.
Sample Topics
The following list offers some guidance on developing a topic for this Senior Capstone Project.
Prepare a media kit on behalf of a local or national organic farmers’ alliance, introducing a campaign to encourage people to eat more organic foods.
Prepare a media kit on behalf of a consumer group or energy company, introducing a campaign to encourage consumers in a specific region to use energy more efficiently.
Prepare a media kit on behalf of a local bank, introducing a campaign to encourage people (or children) to save more money than they do now.
Prepare a media kit on behalf of a consumer group or lobbying organization, designed to present a position (and encourage citizen action) on a current issue.
Required Length and Style
The Media Kit has a required total minimum length of 5,000 words. (Word count includes the project proposal and annotated bibliography assignments submitted separately.)
Its contents should be written to reflect Associated Press (AP) style rules except for the reference list that is supposed to be submitted with the finalized Media Kit. That reference list should follow American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style rules. Do not submit your annotated bibliography again; submit only your final reference list in your finalized Media Kit.
However, as it is an academic work and must reflect research, its references should follow American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style. It must reflect research from a minimum of eight sources (at least five of which are academic secondary sources). For examples of primary vs. secondary sources, click here.
Remember to proof your own work before submitting it.
Graded Deliverables
You will be responsible for the following graded interim assignments, which you will complete during the course of the development of your Senior Capstone Project.
Project Proposal Memo (addressed to professor) describing the situation, intent, and components of the Media Kit
Annotated Bibliography Memo (addressed to professor)
Draft Project to Class
Draft Project Peer Review Memo (two, addressed to classmates)
Final Written Media Kit (all components finalized and assembled)
For instructions on how to complete the graded interim assignments that you’ll be doing for this project before you assemble it into your final project, see the Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the Graded Interim Assignments under Content > Course Resources > Senior Capstone Project Toolkit.
Evaluation
Your grade will be based on the following criteria:
your writing, including proper tone and style for each piece, appropriate selection of materials, effective organization, a coherent corporate voice, and adherence to standard public relations guidelines
content that is comprehensive and in-depth, and that serves the purpose of the media kit
your logo and folder design (relevant, appealing, striking)
mechanics, such as format, grammar, and spelling
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