FOREWORD

The purpose of this manual is to serve as a guide

to both degree candidates and faculty members in the

preparation and final production of the capstone project

that meets criteria of a scholarly work in the field of

Information Technology (IT). While the excellence of the

content of the capstone project is the responsibility of

the Oral Examination Committee (OrEC), DMMMSU

prescribes the actual format of the capstone project

documentation. This is done to establish a University

standard of presentation and to satisfy other

specifications placed upon the university in terms of

publishing the final document. The specifications herein

are designed for internal consistency as a measure of

reliability. Degree candidates preparing a capstone

project are strongly advised to read and follow the style

and format of this manual carefully.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

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Chapter 1INTRODUCTION

A capstone project is a culminating activity that generates an output useful in the development of Information Technology (IT) solutions. This may be but not limited to application development that focuses on software engineering processes or application design that focuses on effective testing procedure or a study on application development processes. The Capstone Project is required for candidates for graduation in the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and the Master in Information Technology programs as indicated in CMO # 53, s. 2006 or the “Revised Policies and Standards for IT Education” for the undergraduate program and CMO # 7, s. 2010 or the “Revised Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Graduate Program in Information Technology Education (ITE)” for the master’s program. The capstone project is a terminal project requirement that would not only demonstrate a student’s comprehensive knowledge of the area of study and research methods used but also allow them to apply the concepts and methods to a specific problem in his/her area of specialization. Both BS Information Technology and Master in Information Technology students must complete a capstone project in the form of an IT application, a Multimedia System development, or an IT Management project. (CMO # 53 s. 2006 & CMO # 7 s. 2010)

This Capstone Project Manual aims to standardize the process of conducting capstone project in the University particularly in the field of Information Technology, and thereby improving the quality of capstone project output submitted by students as well as faculty researchers.

This manual specifically aims:

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1. To come up with a uniform format of writing the documentation of an capstone project in the undergraduate and graduate programs as well as faculty researches or projects;

2. To establish guidelines in the evaluation of capstone projects;

3. To ensure a quality output from our students both in undergraduate and graduate programs; and

4. To serve as a guide for faculty members doing capstone project advising.

CAPSTONE PROJECT

A Capstone Project is an undertaking appropriate to a professional field. It should significantly address an existing problem or need.

An Information Technology Capstone Project focuses on the infrastructure, application, or processes involved in introducing a Computing solution to a problem.

Scope of the Capstone ProjectThe Capstone Project should integrate the different courses, knowledge, and competencies learned in the curriculum. Students are encouraged to produce innovative results, generate new knowledge or theories, or explore new frontiers of knowledge or application areas. The recommended infrastructure and its implications on other system should be clearly specified in the final report with the introduction of the project.

The capstone project adviser should determine the appropriate complexity level of the specific problem

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being addressed and the proposed solution, considering the duration of the project, the composition of the team, and the resources available.

Suggested Areas of study for Capstone Project in Information TechnologyFollowing is a list of suggested areas of study.

3.1.1 Software Development Software Customization Information System Development for an

actual client (with pilot testing) Web Applications Development (with at least

alpha testing on live servers) Mobile Computing Systems

3.1.2 Multimedia Systems Game Development e-Learning Systems Interactive Systems Information Kiosks

3.1.3 Network Design and Implementation and Server Farm Configuration and Management

3.1.4 IT Management IT Strategic Plan for sufficiently complex

enterprises IT Security Analysis, Planning and

Implementation

CAPSTONE PROJECT DURATIONThe students should be given ample time to finish their project. The curriculum should prescribe at least one (1) term to a maximum of three (3) terms or semesters for students to complete their capstone projects both in the undergraduate and master programs.

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COMPOSITION OF CAPSTONE PROJECT GROUPSStudents should preferably work in teams of two (2) to four (4) members depending on the complexity of the project for the undergraduate program. For the master’s program, it is an individual work. The adviser should be able to determine whether the team can complete the project on time.

THE ORAL EXAMINATION COMMITTEE (OrEC)All individuals involved in the development and approval of a capstone project is referred to as the Oral Examination Committee (OrEC).

The OrEC shall be responsible for the conduct and evaluation of the capstone project proposal and final oral examination of the project.

The OrEC shall be organized during the research/project study subject enrolled by the students or as soon as the student is prepared for the project proposal examination. Membership shall be recommended from the College Pool of Faculty by the student(s) and their adviser. Membership to the OrEC shall be approved by the College Dean upon recommendation by the Department Chairman.

The OrEC shall be composed of four (4) members composing of the adviser, two (2) of the members will be chosen from the College Pool of Faculty and an external member to be determined by the student(s) candidate(s) and their adviser who is an expert in the area or field of the project to be examined. The external member as much as possible is a representative from the organization for which the project is intended.

The chair of the OrEC shall be determined on a collegial basis.

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OrEC members should have a degree in a computing or allied programs, or must be domain experts in the area of study. At least one of the members must have a master’s degree in Computing (preferably in the same filed as the project) or allied program. It is also required that at least one of the members should have industry experience.

A member’s inability to attend an oral examination and non-submission of evaluation of the capstone project will warrant a reconstitution of the OrEC membership. The OrEC member shall notify the College Dean of his inability to attend at least four (4) days before the scheduled oral examination shall submit a written evaluation of the project. As part of administrative responsibility, the College Dean or his duly authorized representative, if not an OrEC member, may sit during the oral examination. Compliance to appropriate administrative procedures in the development, completion and approval of the project study is a responsibility of the College Dean. It is also the responsibility of the College Dean to monitor standard of scholarly work of the capstone project.

The adviser shall be chosen on the basis of his/her expertise in the area of the project study. The student(s) in consultation with the Department Chairman shall recommend at least three (3) members from which an adviser will be chosen and appointed as his/her/their project study adviser by the College Dean. In the graduate program, the adviser should be at least a master’s degree in a computing or allied program.

The adviser must have completed a computing project successfully beyond the bachelor’s degree project. As much as possible, the adviser should be a full-time

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faculty member of the College. Otherwise a full-time faculty co-adviser is required.

Faculty advisers should handle at most ten projects at one time. Panel members may participate in at most twenty projects in one semester.

CAPSTONE PROJECT PRESENTATIONA capstone project is a culminating activity that generates an output useful in the development of Information Technology (IT) solutions. This may be but not limited to application development that focuses on software engineering processes or application design that focuses on effective testing procedure or a study on application development processes.

The capstone project should be pilot tested and the result of the research and development must be presented in a national or international public form in the case of the master’s program. (Sec. 10.1.1 CMO # 7 s.2010)

A school-based colloquium may be organized for this purpose that would suffice to satisfy this requirement of presentation. Other options could be presentation in the Philippine Society of Information Technology Education (PSITE) Regional Congresses, the National Conference on IT Education (NCITE) of PSITE, or the Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC) of the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP).

For the undergraduate program, the result is not required to be presented in a national forum but it is highly encouraged.

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Chapter 2DISTRIBUTION, FORMAT AND STYLE

The purpose of this is to acquaint students with the guidelines for capstone project format established by the University. The requirements described in this manual must be met in order to receive the approval of the Office of the College Dean.

A. Number of Copies and Distribution of the DocumentCopies of the approved capstone project shall be submitted to the Office of the College Dean in the following forms: five (5) hard bound and four (4) CD-RW and a softbound copy.

Copies hall be distributed to the following: 1 HB – Student (optional for undergraduate

students) 1 HB – Adviser (optional for undergraduate

students) 1 HB & 1 CD-RW – College Dean’s Office 1 HB & 1 CD-RW – Graduate School Office/Library

(not required for undergraduate students) 1 HB & 2 CD-RW – College Library 1 SB – Research Unit of the College

All copies of the hard bound and softcopy in CD should be submitted not later than two (2) days before the meeting of the College Academic Council. The approval sheet should be signed by those concerned before acceptance of the Office of the College Dean. (See Appendix A, Approval Sheet)

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B. Paper, Ink and Duplication1. The paper required must conform to the following

requirements: Color: White Size: 8 ½ by 11 inches Substance 20 or higher gsm

2. Text, tables and figures must be presented in black ink only. Use line types symbols, shading, and patterns to distinguish between data. If color is essential to the content, all copies must contain original color presentations printed in the highest quality, permanent ink, or presented as photographic prints.

3. Duplication Processes and Materials. All computer typing must be of letter quality. The letters must be appearing fully formed and the font type must be legible and unambiguous. Photocopying may be done on any good quality photocopy machine using paper meeting the requirements of this manual.

C. Cover page and Spine1. Text in the cover page should include: Title of the

capstone project (in inverted pyramid), Name of the proponent(s), Name of the University, and, month and year of graduation. (See Appendix B)

2. Contents of Spine should include the following: Name of the proponent(s) (Last, First and Middle Initial), Title of the Project, Name of the university (DMMMSU) and Year of publication. (See Appendix C)

D. MarginsFor every page, the left margin should be four (4)

centimeters or 1 ½ inches. Margins on other sides shall be two and a half centimeters or one inch. Margin

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specifications are meant to facilitate binding and trimming. All information including page numbers should be within the text area. The margin regulations must be met on all pages used in the capstone project document including pages with figures, tables, or illustrations.

E. Preparation of Manuscript1. Text

a. Original signatures on the approval page must be in black ink. The document must be signed by the Chairman of the OrEC, the members of the OrEC, the Adviser, the College Dean, and the Campus Chancellor. For the undergraduate program, signatories would only be up to the level of the College Dean.

b. Printing must be done in ink jet or laser printers.c. The general text shall be encoded using any word

processing software such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer, in a standard serif font type. Acceptable serif type font style is Bookman Old Style.

d. The general text shall be in a font size of 12 point. All symbols shall be from an acceptable font. Text in figures and in tables must be readable, and the font size shall not be smaller than 9 point.

e. Corrections: The following should be strictly observed.

Strikeovers, interlineations or crossing-out of letters or words are unacceptable.

No erasures. The use of liquid paper and of transparent

tape for patching is not acceptable in any form.

f. Materials must be printed on one side of the paper only.

g. Text is justified on both sides.

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2. Spacing, Paragraphing and Indentionsa. The general text of the manuscript shall be double

spaced.b. Single-space should be used in tables with more

than ten (10) rows, quotations with more than ten (10), line captions with more than ten (10), line captions with more than 2 lines and bibliographic entries.

c. Paragraph indentions shall be five (5) spaces.

3. Page Numberinga. The preliminary pages are numbered in

consecutive lower case Roman numerals. These should be centered at the bottom.

b. The text and all reference pages, including the Appendices, are numbered consecutively in Arabic numbers, beginning with 1 on the first page of the text.

c. Every page on which any typing or drawing appears has a number.

d. The title page segregating each chapter and major sections are counted but not numbered.

e. Inserted pages numbered 10a, 10b, 10c, etc., are not acceptable.

f. The position of the page number is not altered by horizontal or vertical placement of the Table or Figure.

4. Multi-Volume Documentsa. If the bulk of the document necessitates two or

more binders, the separation into volumes should come at the end of major divisions of the document.

b. The title page is repeated in each volume and all are identical, except for the words “Volume I” and “Volume II”, etc., just below the title.

c. The title pages of Volumes I, II, III, etc., are neither counted nor numbered.

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d. All other preliminaries are in Volume I.e. In numbering the text and the pages of Reference

Material, numbering is continuous from Volume I to the end of the last Volume.

F. Tables, Figures and Plates1. Definitions

a. “Table” is a tool generally used to designate tabulated numerical data or text in the body of the document and in the Appendices. (See Appendix E)

b. “Figure” is generally used to designate other non-verbal material (such as graph or illustrations) included in the body of the document and in the Appendices. (See Appendix E)

c. “Plate” refers to any kind of photographic representation or illustration. (See Appendix F)

2. Preparation of Tablesa. Every table should be given a number and should

be cited in the text by that number, either directly or parenthetically.

b. Numeration of tables should be chronologically continues through the text or the whole book. Arabic numerals are used.

c. The table number should be typed flushed left together with the title.

d. The title or caption set above the body of the table should identify the table briefly.

e. Title of the table should be based on the specific problem or objective.

f. There should only be two rows or three rows, and one column within the table, double line for the first and last lines. (see Appendix E)

g. Give each row and column a heading so the reader knows to what it refers.

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h. A table may be placed sideways (landscape) on the page. Place the table caption sideways also so that all parts can be conveniently read together.

i. The first letter of a variable/factor inside the table should be capitalized.

j. Legend should be placed below the table where the symbol or acronym was first used, in ten (10) point font size, italicized and single-spaced.

k. Symbols should be used for level of significance.l. A period is placed after the “Table No”.m. All tables must be referred to in the text by

number.

3. Preparation of Figures and Platesa. Numeration of figures and plates should be

chronologically continued throughout the text or whole book. Arabic numerals are used.

b. Title or caption is set below the figure or plate.c. Define abbreviations and symbols used in each

figure or plate.d. All figures and plates must be placed

immediately after the page where a particular figure or plate number is mentioned.

e. All figures and plates must be well explained in the text.

f. The word “figure” or “plate” should be spelled out.

g. A period follows after the number of the figure and plate.

h. Figures and plates should be oriented vertically whenever possible.

i. Photographic illustrations to be used in the document must wither original photographs or high quality reproductions.

4. Placement

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a. All tables, figures and plates are placed either at the top or bottom portion of the page. Sandwiching the table, figure or plate is not allowed.

b. Tables, figures, and plates must first be introduced in textual form before its presentation.

G. Oversize Pages1. Sheets up to 8.5 by 13 inches or larger are

acceptable for exceptional cases.

H. Binding1. Five (5) hard bound copies are required for

submission.2. The color of the hard bound cover of the

capstone project document for the bachelor’s program is royal blue while grass green for the master’s program.

3. All letters in the cover shall be in gold, font 14 using Bookman Old Style, and all capital letters.

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Chapter 3ARRANGEMENT OF CONTENTS

Below is the list of parts, optional and necessary, that must be followed. It is already arranged in chronological order for easy reference.

A. Preliminaries1. Blank Sheet. This serves as the flyleaf.

2. Title Page. This page contains the title of the research, name of proponents and statement regarding the qualification for which the research is submitted. It also contains the name of the institution, to which the research is being submitted, and the month and year of submission.

3. Approval Sheet. This page bears the name of the proponents/s and the title of the research, together with the signature of the adviser, the Director and

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members of the oral defense panel. This page certifies that the research has been duly approved, and must bear the date of approval. (See Appendix B)

4. Acknowledgement. This section recognizes persons and organizations who/which assisted the proponents in the completion of the research. Acknowledgements should be expressed simply an tactfully.

5. Dedication Page. This page is optional. If used, make it brief and centered in one page. No heading is necessary.

6. Abstract. This is a brief and concise descriptive summary of study containing the statement of the problem, methodology, major findings and conclusions.

The first paragraph must be single-spaced. It must contain the candidate’s name as it appears on the title page, but with the last name first, the abbreviation of the degree, the date (last month of the semester in which the student completes the degree), title of the document (wording exactly to agree with the Title page), and name of the adviser. (See Appendix H)

The abstract should not be more than 150 words, and should be typed single-spaced and preferably on a single page. Normally the abstract does not include any reference to the literature.

7. Table of Contents. A sequential listing of all major parts of the research with corresponding page numbers. Included in the table of contents are titles of chapters, sections and subsections, bibliography

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and appendices. Also included are titles of the preliminary pages as well as the required forms.

All materials following the Table of contents are listed.

The title of parts, sections, or chapters and their principal subdivisions should be listed and must be worded exactly as they appear in the body of the document.

8. List of Tables/Figures/PlatesThe heading LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES and PLATES in capital letters, are centered without punctuation; the listing begins at the left margin on the fourth line below the heading.

The list of Tables/Figures/Plates uses exactly the same numbers and title of the Tables/Figures/Plates in the text and in the Appendices.

B. Main BodyThis is the main text of the capstone project document, divided into chapters and sub-topics. It normally starts with the “Introduction” and ends with the “Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations”.

1. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTIONa. This chapter serves as a backgrounder for

readers to have an overview of the study even without prior reference to other publications on the topic.

b. The introductory pages are important because they create the first and perhaps lasting impression on the examiner. Use flow diagrams, headings, sub-headings etc., to create and sustain interest. Lead the reader

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from the known to the unknown. Parts of the introduction re the following:i. Situation Analysis

Situation Analysis should be presented from macro to micro underscoring existing scenario or situation.

It includes information necessary to justify the existence of a problem situation/need/gap like statistical data from authoritative source(s).

There should be a clinching statement to link the situation analysis to project problem.

ii. Project/Research Framework It is advisable to use either theoretical

or conceptual framework. If both theories and concepts are used, then the title Theoretical Framework should be adopted since theory always includes constructs or concepts.

Theoretical Framework Link the study with existing theories

that are useful devise for interpreting, criticizing and unifying established scientific laws or facts that serve as guide in discovering new generalizations.

Be explicit as to whether an existing theory will be verified or another theory will be developed or proposed;

Always indicate the title/name of the theory/theories including its author, what the theory is all about and indicate applicability to the study

This part is optional for biological/physical sciences, technology, agriculture and forestry

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because this is presented as part of the Review of Literature.

Conceptual Framework Present specific and well-defined

constructs, assumptions, expectations and beliefs that support the research study.

Research/Project Paradigm A diagram that illustrates the

relationship of the variables of the study

This may take the form of (1) input-process-output; (2) the true system approach; (3) flow chart system

iii. Statement of Objectives Present a perplexing

situation/phenomenon that challenges a solution of a felt need which can reflect contribution to knowledge, discipline and/or theory and within the proponent’s skills and competence, interest and resources as to time, budget and workability.

Indicate the direction/guideline of the study and answer the what, where, when and from whom the data will be gathered in the general problem to establish delimitation.

Present the sub-objectives in a logical sequence from factual to analytical along mutually exclusive dimensions (no overlaps) with the exclusion of the overview, expected conclusions, implications and recommendations of the project.

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iv. Importance of the Study Describe general contribution of the

project to new knowledge, society and or to development in general.

Cite significance of the project to specific groups, programs, projects, beneficiaries in the specific performance.

v. Definition of Terms Only important terms from the title,

statement of the problem or objectives and paradigm should be defined.

Define terms operationally or how you use such term in the project.

2. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATUREThe Review of Literature showcases previous studies and publications relevant to the project. This chapter gives light as to what motivated the proponent/s in pursuing the specific field of study.

a. Include a combination of literature and studies within the last 10 years except for theories.

b. Organize thematically to conform to the variables of the specific problems.

c. Follow proper documentation using parenthetical citation with author and date

d. Only articles with dates are allowed as e-references.

e. Secondary sources should be limited to at most 15.

f. Highlight major findings and how one’s project would fit in the body of knowledge on the subject matter and make a critique per

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topic as to whether the results cohere or differ from each other.

g. The last part should be a clinching paragraph to show how the literature has assisted the project proponent in the present study.

3. Chapter 3 METHODOLOGYa. Project Design. Specify, describe and justify

the appropriate project design congruent with the purpose of the study.

b. Population and Locale of the Studyb.1Population/Participants. Describe the population of the

respondents or participants of the study. If there are two groups or more, present it in a tabular form.

If applicable, describe the basis of the sample specifically what formula, specific sampling procedure and what probability level. Lynch formula for sampling is suggested.

b.2Locale of the Study. Describe the place or location where the

study is conducted and rationale of the choice.

c. Data Instrumentationc.1 Identify and describe the instrument or

approach to used for each descriptive problem, cite sources, to whom it will be administered, how it will be administered and how to interpret.

c.2Validity. Identify and describe the process of measuring and proving the validity of the instrument.

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c.3Reliability. Identify and describe the process of measuring and proving the reliability of the instrument. If the instrument is made by the project proponent, a pilot test should be done with the respondents whose characteristics are parallel to those of the main respondents. If the instrument is adopted, acknowledge the source and present/describe the level of reliability.

c.4Only data collected two (2) years immediately before the final examination are considered valid.

c.5Give details of instruction given to assistants if persons other than the researcher gathered data.

c.6State qualifications of informants if used in the study.

d. Data Analysisd.1Identify and justify the statistical

treatment per objective.d.2Present and justify the scale of values

used and the descriptive equivalent ratings, if any.

d.3In case of the IT project, e.g. software/systems development, present and discuss the software/systems development process used. Include justification why such is used.

4. Chapter 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONSa. Order of discussion is based on the

chronology of the statement of the problem/objectives.

b. First give the reader a feel of the data through descriptive presentation followed by data presentation in tables or graphs. Presentation

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of data is from general to specific, macro to micro is better for clarity of presentation.

c. Let the table speak for itself.d. State statistical descriptions in declarative

sentences, e.g. in studies involving comparison – state the obtained statistical results, indicate the level of significance of the differences then make a decision.

e. Interpretation should include the following:a. Trends, patterns, linkages, integrations

and generalizations of data in the context of the study;

b. Check for indicators whether the hypothesis is supported by the findings;

c. Interconnections between and among data;

d. Link present findings with previous literature/theories/concepts presented in the framework;

e. Parallel observation with contemporary events to give credence to what were presented in the situation analysis;

f. Implications of the findings to prevailing condition in one’s own field of specialization, on-going programs, current thrusts of the government, existing national policies and current public attitudes and opinions.

f. For the presentation of the IT project and its discussions, the following may be used:a. In the case of an IS Plan, the IS Plan may

follow any of the established frameworks, such as that of the National Computer Center.

b. For software systems development, discussion shall include but not limited to: Description of the Project

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Requirements (Functional and Non-functional)

Design of Software, Systems, Product, and/or Processes encapsulated using any appropriate CASE tools

Development and Testing, where applicable

Implementation Plan (Infrastructure/Deployment) where needed

Implementation Results, where applicable

5. Chapter 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONSThis is the last chapter of the capstone project manuscript and the most important part because it is here where the findings, and the whole project for that matter, are summarized; generalizations in the form of conclusions are made; and the recommendations for the solution of problems discovered in the study are addressed.

a. Summary. This part includes the statement of the problem/objectives on a paragraph form; synthesized methodology and salient findings for each of the specific problems/objectives presented in paragraph form.

b. Conclusions. These are generalized statements from a micro to a macro level based on the answers to the general problem and each of the specific problems/objectives. General inferences are presented which are applicable to a wider and similar population.

c. Recommendations. These should be based on the findings and conclusions. Recommendations should be feasible,

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workable, flexible and adaptable in a non-technical language and may include suggestions for further studies.

C. Reference MaterialsBibliographyThis is a list of works cited, as well as works consulted but not cited in the construction of the capstone project.

Categorize references as published and unpublished. Under published materials are references from and sub-categorized as books, encyclopedia, dictionary, magazines, newspapers, journals, electronic downloads and under unpublished materials are thesis and dissertations.

The list of references is numbered and arranged alphabetically and single-spaced, but separated by blank line. Type the first line of an entry from the left but indent the succeeding lines by four letters. Underline name of books, periodicals, and volume numbers.

BooksFormat:Author's last name, first initial. (Publication

date). Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing company.

Examples:Allen, T. (1974). Vanishing wildlife of North America.

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Boorstin, D. (1992). The creators: A history of the heroes of the imagination. New York: Random House.

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Nicol, A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Searles, B., & Last, M. (1979). A reader's guide to science fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc.

Toomer, J. (1988). Cane. Ed. Darwin T. Turner. New York: Norton.

Note: If there are more than three (3) authors cite the first three authors in your references/bibliography, but use “et.al.”, which means “and others” after the name of the third author. In your citations within the text, you may cite only the first author followed by et al. (not italicized and with a period after “al”)

Encyclopedia & DictionaryFormat:Author's last name, first initial. (Date). Title of

Article. Title of Encyclopedia (Volume, pages). City of publication: Publishing company.

Examples:Bergmann, P. G. (1993). Relativity. In The new

encyclopedia britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501-508). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Pettingill, O. S., Jr. (1980). Falcon and Falconry. World book encyclopedia. (pp. 150-155). Chicago: World Book.

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Tobias, R. (1991). Thurber, James. Encyclopedia americana. (p. 600). New York: Scholastic Library Publishing.

Magazine & Newspaper ArticlesFormat:Author's last name, first initial. (Publication date).

Article title. Periodical title, volume number(issue number if available), inclusive pages. 

Note: Do not enclose the title in quotation marks. Put a period after the title. If a periodical includes a volume number, italicize it and then give the page range (in regular type) without "pp." If the periodical does not use volume numbers, as in newspapers, use p. or pp. for page numbers. Unlike other periodicals, p. or pp. precedes page numbers for a newspaper reference in APA style.

Examples:Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing

psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896.

Henry, W. A., III. (1990, April 9). Making the grade in today's schools. Time, 135, 28-31.

Kalette, D. (1986, July 21). California town counts town to big quake. USA Today, 9, p. A1.

Kanfer, S. (1986, July 21). Heard any good books lately? Time, 113, 71-72.

Trillin, C. (1993, February 15). Culture shopping. New Yorker, pp. 48-51.

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Website or WebpageFormat:Online periodical:Author's name. (Date of publication). Title of

article. Title of Periodical, volume number, Retrieved month day, year, from full URL

Online document:Author's name. (Date of publication). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from full URL 

Note: When citing Internet sources, refer to the specific website document. If a document is undated, use "n.d." (for no date) immediately after the document title. Break a lengthy URL that goes to another line after a slash or before a period. Continually check your references to online documents. There is no period following a URL. If you cannot find some of this information, cite what is available.

Examples:Devitt, T. (2001, August 2). Lightning injures four at

music festival. The Why? Files. Retrieved January 23, 2002, from http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html

Dove, R. (1998). Lady freedom among us. The Electronic Text Center. Retrieved June 19, 1998, from Alderman Library, University of Virginia website: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/afam.html 

Note: If a document is contained within a large and complex website (such as that for a university or a government agency), identify the host organization and the relevant program or department before

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giving the URL for the document itself. Precede the URL with a colon.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html

GVU's 8th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2000, from http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/usersurveys/survey1997-10/

Health Canada. (2002, February). The safety of genetically modified food crops. Retrieved March 22, 2005, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/protection/biologics_genetics/gen_mod_foods/genmodebk.html

Hilts, P. J. (1999, February 16). In forecasting their emotions, most people flunk out. New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2000, from http://www.nytimes.com

D. Appendices

An appendix or appendices, if any, should be after the References. Appendices include original data, preliminary tests, tabulations, questionnaires, tables that contain data of lesser importance, very lengthy quotations, forms and documents, computer printouts and other pertinent documents such as transcript of interview (if interview was used) among others. Appendices should be arranged chronologically as they are cited in the main text.

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Use capital letters of the English alphabet to track appendices.

A single appendix is labeled “APPENDIX” on the contents page, with or without a title. (if using a title, it should be written as “APPENDIX: TITLE”) The first page of the appendix itself is labeled by the word “APPENDIX” (centered) and a title capitalized and centered after a skip line. Several appendices are labeled “APPENDICES” on the contents page, with subsequent lines each containing n indented alphabetic identifier and title such as “A: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE”; other lines (labeled B, C etc.) follow as needed. The appendices proper are then each labeled as “APPENDIX A” (centered) followed after a skip line by the title centered and capitalized. Appendix pages should be numbered as continuation of the text.

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Chapter 4RULES GOVERNING ORAL EXAMINATION

A. Perspective1. The capstone project is a terminal project

requirement both in the undergraduate and graduate programs that would not only demonstrate a student’s comprehensive knowledge of the area of study but also allow them to apply the concepts and methods to a specific problem in his/her area of specialization.

2. The oral examination of a capstone project is a new and unique event for students. It is usually the first time a major piece of work by the student(s) will be examined.

3. The oral examination is geared towards the improvement of the capstone project.

B. Preparing for the Examination1. The examination of the capstone project is done

orally before members of the OrEC. It is a two-stage examination. The first stage is the proposal examination and the second being the final examination of the capstone project.

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2. To be ready for oral examination (proposal and final), the capstone project must be in final form, complete and fully formatted. An incomplete and improperly formatted will not be allowed for examination. It is the duty of the adviser to check whether or not the capstone project is ready for oral examination.

3. When the project proponent(s) and the adviser agree that the capstone project is ready for oral examination, a tentative date for the examination may be set on the mutual consent of all involved. No date shall be approved without the conforme of the OrEC members.

4. The project proponent(s) shall secure an application for examination and approval of such by members of the OrEC and concerned authorities. In the case of the graduate program, payment of the oral examination fee is required. No capstone project is allowed to be orally examined (proposal and final) without the payment of the required fee.

5. The date of examination is announced publicly and the examination may be open to the university community.

6. A copy of the capstone project manuscript should be provided to each OrEC member at least five (5) working days prior to approved date of examination. For the final examination, the capstone project manuscript copy should be complete as certified by the adviser.

C. Examination Proper1. The Department Chairman is responsible for

bringing the signed and approved proposal as a basis of the project problems/objectives.

2. Certification of statistician should be presented regarding the appropriateness of the data

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analysis and its interpretation before the final examination is calendared.

3. While the capstone project topic will be emphasized in the oral examination, other related topics may be addressed. The examination may last for a minimum of one (1) hour to a maximum to three (3) hours.

4. At the opening of the examination, the project proponent(s) will present a brief executive summary of the capstone project. This itself may engender some questions and discussion. The committee members may then by turn ask questions based on the content of the capstone project or base on the on-going discussion. The questions will include matters of detail, matters involving fundamental principles and major conclusions and logical structure.

5. It shall be the duty of the adviser to take note of the proceedings of the examination. This includes the listing of suggestions and/or recommendations of the OrEC members for the improvement of the study. This should be encapsulated in a compliance matrix in tabular format containing the suggestion and/or recommendations, actions taken by the proponent(s) and remark. It shall be the duty of the adviser to see to it that the compliance matrix is prepared and contents therein are complied with.

6. After the oral examination, the student is requested to leave the room so that the committee may discuss and make its decision. After this, the student is invited back into the session to hear the decision. The project proponent(s) may be asked to one of the following:a. Revise the capstone project, without a second

defense.

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b. Substantially rewrite the capstone project, and make a second defense.

NOTE: A student asked to revise the capstone project but not to defend it a second time, will be considered to have passed the oral examination. A student asked to make a second oral examination will be considered to have failed the first oral examination.

D. Post Final Oral Examination1. After the oral examination, in cases when the

OrEC decides that revisions on the capstone project are necessary, it shall be the responsibility of the project proponent(s) and adviser concerned to incorporate such revisions before it can be approved and accepted by the OrEC members.

2. The adviser shall ensure the quality of the capstone project manuscript produced by the project proponent(s) by seeing to it that herein guidelines are adhered to.

3. The compliance matrix will be presented to each OrEC member proving compliance to their suggestions and/or recommendations before the approval of the project.

4. To qualify for graduation, the project proponent(s) shall submit five (5) hardbound and one (1) softbound copy duly signed and four (4) soft copies of the capstone project in CD-RW for official endorsement to the Academic Council (College, Campus and the University) and finally confirmed by the Board of Regents as graduate of their respective degrees.

E. Criteria for Evaluating the Capstone Project1. Capstone project as submitted/written during the

oral examination (50%)

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1.1.Mechanics (10%)1.1.1. General Appearance1.1.2. Sentence Structure1.1.3. Semantics/rhetoric1.1.4. Referencing/appendices

1.2.Organization (10%)1.2.1. Coherence/consistency1.2.2. Clarity1.2.3. Emphasis1.2.4. Unity of Structure1.2.5. Logical presentation

1.3.Quality of Capstone Project (20%)1.3.1. Originality1.3.2. Appropriateness of the use of

presentation materials1.3.3. Relevance of the project to national

and regional development1.3.4. Appropriateness of statistical

treatment1.3.5. Soundness and depth of the

interpretation of findings1.3.6. Relevance of conclusions and

recommendations1.3.7. Objectivity of presentation

1.4. Contribution to Science and Technology (10%)

2. Capstone project as presented/defended during the oral examination (50%)2.1. Mastery of the content of the project2.2. Knowledge of the problem and allied field2.3. Clarity and comprehensiveness of the

presentation of the capstone project report2.4. Ability to orally communicate ideas well and

comprehend and respond well to questions

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2.5. Ability to keep discussion on the main issues2.6. Ability to demonstrate a professional

attitude towards suggestions and revisions

Chapter 5WRITING CONVENTION AND OTHER

CONSIDERATIONS

The craft of writing good English.Writing good English is a craft. It has to be learned by careful reading and even more careful writing. It helps to read books devoted to the subject, but it helps even more to read examples of good writing.

Read what you have written, slowly and carefully. If you find yourself backtracking for any reason, revise what you have written. This may be because of bad sentence structure, poor punctuation, excessive sentence length, poorly expressed ideas, or an unfortunate choice of words. Whatever the cause, take the trouble to revise

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it. If you yourself stumble on your own writing, your reader is bound to stumble too. The least courtesy you can do to your reader is to revise your writing.

Verbs are words of actions. They infuse life and meaning to your writing. A long catalogue of nouns is lifeless; throw in a verb to add some sparkle!

Ambiguity has its place. Scientific writing, however, must be unambiguous. It must communicate clearly, precisely and briefly. Say what was done; how it was done; why it was done.

Precision distinguishes science as a field of intellectual endeavor. It is vital in quantitative work. Precision allows your work to be repeated by others for verification and extension. Vagueness hides in expression like “quite small”, “a considerable length”, etc.

Each of us is faced with more information than we can cope, let alone digest. The reader of your manuscript is no exception. As a courtesy to your reader, be brief. Repetition frustrates the able reader. However, brevity must not be at the expense of clarity or precision. Avoid saying the same thing twice except by choice.

Good punctuations make reading easily. The simplest way to find out where to punctuate is to read aloud what you have written. Each time you pause, you should add a punctuation symbol. There are four major pause symbols: comma, semi colon, colon and period. The readability of your writing will improve greatly if you take the trouble to learn the basic rules of punctuation.

Numbers

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Spell out numbers less than ten unless they are attached to units of measurements (e.g. 5kg, 10ml). Use figure for numbers equal to or more than 10. If a sentence begins with a number, write the number is words even if it is more than 10.

If a series of figures is to be used, use numerals regardless of the value; example:-In the room were 4 chairs, 12 boxes, 13 books, 10 files 9 umbrellas and 8 pairs of shoes.

Units of measureWhenever applicable use the SI unit of measurement. Always used internationally recognized abbreviations for unit of measures, and do not place a period after them.

Direct QuotationsDirect quotations must be copied accurately, word for word, and they must be placed in quotation marks unless they have been formally set off from the rest of the text.

Direct quotations must be minimized at all costs. Extensive use of direct quotations might be irritating to the reader. Students should learn to synthesize and paraphrase concepts in their own words and style.

CitationReferences must be cited properly, both in the text as well as in the reference list at the end of the thesis.

Grammatical TensesAs a rule of thumb, use the present tense when referring to previously published work and the past tense when referring to present results of the study.

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Most of the abstract should be in the past tense because present results are being described. On the other hand, chapter 1 should be in the present tense because this chapter usually refers to previously published works.

Some Simple ABCs for Effective Writinga. One main idea per paragraph and watch sentence

length.b. Use “active” not “passive” sentences when possible.c. Don’t make nouns out of strong verbs.d. Be concise. Never use three words where one will

do.e. Avoid complex, compound sentences.f. Use punctuation skillfully.g. Avoid repeating words or sections unless you need

to loop back to clarify what you are talking about.h. Match subject and verb: both singular and both

plural.i. Speak words aloud to improve your writing. If you

find it hard to put your thoughts into words, try explaining that difficult idea is someone who does not understand it before writing.

References

CHED Memorandum Order No. 7 Series of 2010.

Thesis Handbook.

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Appendix D

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

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Appendix G

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