BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines

(Contents based on CMO 25 s. 2015)

UNIT I. BSIT CAPSTONE PROJECT INTRODUCTION AND GUIDELINES

WHAT IS A CAPSTONE PROJECT?

The Capstone Project is a process in which students pursue independent research on

a question or problem of their choice, engage with the scholarly debates in the relevant
discipline, with the guidance of a faculty mentor/adviser and produce a substantial paper
that reflects deep understanding of the topic.

The results of the Capstone Project must be presented to the selected panel of the
CICT Faculty and submitted to the College of Information and Communications Technology
in the form of a System Application (Database or Web Applications Programming
specialization) or an Enterprise Resource Plan (Network Analysis and Design specialization)

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CAPSTONE PROJECT AND A THESIS?

The main difference between a capstone project and a thesis is that a capstone project
addresses a specific problem, issue or concern in the field of study, and a thesis attempts to
create new knowledge.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT PAPER

The project paper adviser must ensure that the project is feasible/attainable within
one semester. If a student wants to complete the program on the term Capstone Project is
enrolled, the major activities must be done accordingly. These activities are as follows:

• Preliminary Project Paper Proposal Writing – starts after completing the necessary
course pre-requisites.
• Project Paper Proposal Writing – starts upon enrolment of the Capstone Project
course.
• Project Paper Proposal Submission – starts after the approval of the proposed
research title by the Capstone Project Instructor.
• Final Project Paper Defense – starts after submitting the completed project
to the members of the panel of examiners for review and evaluation

PROJECT PAPER STAGES

The entire project program officially starts upon successful submission of the
project proposal and ends with the submission of an approved project paper
document and other deliverables. The paper has four stages. At the end of every stage,
each project paper proponent submits specific deliverables for evaluation and
acceptance by the capstone project adviser, and in the end by the members of the
panel of examiners.
For all the stages of the project paper, the criteria used when delivering the
defense verdict include:

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a. complete and acceptable deliverables;

b. a well-prepared and delivered presentation;
c. a productive Question and Answer session; and
d. a working software/system including the necessary documentation.
PRELIMINARY PROJECT PAPER PROPOSAL WRITING

Preliminary project paper proposal writing results in the identification of a

project paper project. This stage involves the following activities:
a. identification of the problem;
b. specification of the objectives and goals of the project;
c. stating/writing the description of the proposed project; and
d. searching of related literature.
The only deliverable at the end of this stage is a concept paper. There is no
defense at this stage. The students are encouraged to consult with their Capstone
Project Instructor and/or their prospective Capstone Project Adviser.
PROJECT PAPER PROPOSAL WRITING

The deliverable at the end of this stage is an approved proposal that includes
a partial project paper document covering Chapters 1 and 2, as well as appendices to
include proposed architectural design and/or theoretical/ conceptual framework.
These chapters include the introduction (background, objectives, scope and
limitations), technical background and the description and initial design of the system
to be developed. Description and the initial design must be 50% of the developed
System or Software.
PROJECT PAPER PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

The proponents are required to submit the 80% of the Software/System

Developed and the Complete Documentation. There is no defense for the paper
project proposal. The final project paper proposal (approved and signed by the
project paper adviser) must be submitted to the capstone project instructor at least
five (5) days before the scheduled defense. The instructor shall then distribute the
copies of the manuscript to the members of the panel for critiquing.
FINAL PROJECT PAPER DEFENSE

Students who are enrolled in the Capstone Project shall only be allowed to apply
for Final Defense after having gone through the following:
a. implementation/development of the solution identified in system analysis
and design;
b. analysis of the solution;
c. testing and gathering of result;

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d. documentation of result;
e. finalization of the project paper document; and
f. preparation for the project paper presentation and defense.
The following are the deliverables required at the end of this stage:
a. The complete/revised project paper document;
b. For project paper involving software support system of application:
• technical manual;
• user’s manual (if the system is immediately deployable); and
• running software.
c. The final project paper and the developed software/enterprise resource plan
must have an approval coming from the Area Chairman.
A project paper proponent is eligible for defense only if:
a. the students secure an approval coming from the Area Chair at least three (3)
days before the defense date;
b. the project paper adviser recommends the project paper by signing the
Application for Capstone Project Final Defense Form; and
c. three (3) copies of the project paper were submitted to Capstone Instructor at
least five (5) days before the scheduled defense. Defense normally starts
second week of October.
The three possible verdicts after the defense are:
a. ACCEPTED. The paper is good and only requires minor revisions.
b. ACCEPTED BUT WITH REVISIONS. Major revisions are necessary to enhance
the document and/or the software, but they do not have to present in front of
the panelists. The members of the panelist are encouraged to make sure that
all the revisions are made before accepting the final research paper.
c. NOT ACCEPTED. Either the objectives of the study have not been met or the
proponent was not able to present and fully defend the salient findings/results
of the study. The verdict is a unanimous decision among the three members of
the project paper defense panel. Once issued it is final and irrevocable.

Note: Student is not allowed to improve or redo their final project paper in case it was
tagged as “NOT ACCEPTED”. He/she can only graduate within the semester if the final
approved project is presented and submitted to the Office of the Dean through
his/her Capstone Project instructor at least two (2) weeks before the end of the 1st
Semester of each Academic Year.

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The following table summarizes the guidelines discussed in this section:

STAGE DELIVERABLES POSSIBLE VERDICTS

Preliminary Concept Paper Allowed/Not allowed to continue with the study
Project Paper
Proposal
Writing
Project Project Paper Proposal Acceptance of the Proposal by the Capstone
Proposal Paper Chapters 1 and 2 Project Instructor
Writing Appendices
Project Paper Project Paper Proposal Accepted or not accepted by the Capstone
Proposal Chapters 1 and 2 Project Adviser
Submission Appendices
Final Project Final Project Paper Accepted
Paper Defense Document Accepted with Revisions Not Accepted
Presentation (Decision shall be given by the members of the
Panel of Examiners)
For DAP and WAP
majors, running
software, technical
manual, user’s manual
and other system
models.
•
• For NAD major,
network design/layout
• List of hardware
requirements and their
cost.

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UNIT II. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF RESEARCH ENABLERS

The development and defense of the project paper involves the following key parties.
THE PROJECT PAPER PROPONENT

The project paper proponent shall be composed of maximum of four (4) students.
Their responsibilities are as follows:

a. Be informed of the Project Paper Guidelines and Policies.

b. Follow the schedule of project paper activities, required deliverables and deadlines
posted by Capstone Project Instructor.
c. Submit on time the following:
- all deliverables specified in this document as well as those to be specified by the
Capstone Project Instructor;
- requirements identified by the project paper adviser throughout the duration of the
project.
- all requirements identified by the project paper defense panel during the defense.
d. Meet with the project paper adviser regularly throughout the duration of the project
paper. The meetings serve as a venue for the proponents to report the progress of
their work, as well as raise any issues or concerns.
THE PROJECT PAPER ADVISER

Each project paper proponents are assigned to one capstone paper adviser, who
should be a faculty member of the College of Information and Communications Technology.
Selection

Capstone project adviser shall be selected based on the following criteria:

a. faculty member’s research project expertise;
b. academic and administrative load; and
c. number of capstone project/thesis advisees handled for the particular semester.
Responsibilities
The adviser has the following responsibilities:
a. Meet the project paper proponents on a regular basis to answer questions and
concerns. In cases of failed attempts to resolve the issues, a letter detailing, and
justifying his/her decision must be submitted to the Capstone Project Instructor.
b. Ensure that the project paper is feasible. The project paper adviser sees to it that the
objectives, scope/limitation and methodology of the project are well-defined.
c. Personally conducting (or has conducted) research in parallel with his/her advisees
on the project paper topics. The adviser must be familiar with the topic to be able to
give sound advice to his/her advisees.
d. Point out errors in the development work, in the analysis, or in the documentation.
The adviser must remind the proponent to do their work properly.

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e. Review thoroughly all deliverables at every stage of the project paper, to ensure that
they meet the standard of the College. The adviser may also require his/her project
paper proponent to submit progress reports regularly.
f. Recommend the proponents for oral defense. The adviser should not sign the
Application for Final Defense form if he/she believes that the proponent/s is/are not
yet ready for the oral defense.
g. Clarify points during the oral defense.
h. Ensure that all required revisions are incorporated into the appropriate documents
and/or software.
i. Keep informed of the schedule of project paper activities, required deliverables and
deadlines.
The adviser can also request, on behalf of the proponent, for the modification or
elimination of certain revisions/requirements and defend such requests before the final
verdict is issued.
The adviser is not expected to check the English spelling and grammar of the project
paper document. He/she may suggest/recommend English or Research Editor to whom the
proponent shall consult with.
A faculty member assigned as adviser of a particular project paper proponent would
remain in that capacity for as long as he/she is a faculty member of the College. If the faculty
member goes on leave, he/she may continue to serve as the adviser, or may pass the
responsibilities to another faculty member.

THE PROJECT PAPER DEFENSE PANEL

Each project paper proponent will have a project paper defense panel, which is
composed of at least three (3) faculty members of the College. The Capstone Project Defense
Panel Members must be chaired by the Dean of the College or his/her representative.
Selection of the Defense Panel
In special cases, a panelist may come from an external unit. The panel members are
chosen by the Capstone Adviser based on the following:
a. Research Coordinator of the College shall also serve as one of the members of the
panel of examiners; and
b. Two (2) panel members should belong to the research area under which the
project paper falls under.

Note: The project paper adviser will be part of the panel. However, the adviser has the option to
decline the role.
The composition of the defense panel must be retained as much as possible,
throughout all the stages of the project paper.

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Responsibilities

The project paper defense panel has the following responsibilities:

a. Validate the endorsement of the project paper adviser.
b. Evaluate the deliverables.
c. Recommend a verdict.
d. Consider the requests of the project paper adviser and/or the proponents.
The Chair of the panel has the following responsibilities:
a. Brief the project paper proponent about the defense program during the actual
defense.
b. Issue the verdict. The verdict is a unanimous decision among the three members
of the project paper defense panel. Once issued, it is final and irrevocable.
Each project paper proponent will have a project paper defense panel, which is
composed of at least three (3) faculty members of the College. The Capstone Project Defense
Panel Members must be chaired by the Dean of the College or his/her representative.

THE CAPSTONE PROJECT INSTRUCTOR

The Capstone Project Instructor has the following responsibilities:

a. Announce research areas (at the start of each semester) to the students;
b. Conduct general meetings with the students to discuss the Project Paper
Guidelines, Policies and Deliverables and to allow the students to raise and clarify
issues;
c. Select a project paper defense panel for each project paper proponent based on
the guidelines;
d. Schedule project paper activities, such as the deadlines of deliverables and
defense sessions;
e. Post schedules, defense guidelines, requirements guidelines, and other
announcements;
f. Furnish every member of the panel of examiners with all the necessary project
paper documents before the defense;
g. File at least one copy of the defense panel’s evaluation (including revisions) and
the Revised and Approved Deliverables at every stage of the project paper.
h. Streamline the procedure.

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UNIT III. DOCUMENT FORMAT

The margin of the document should be the default MS Word margin. The front used
for the entire document must be Times New Roman with a point size of twelve (12).
Paragraph must be double-spaced.

PROJECT PAPER PROPOSAL OUTLINE AND CONTENT

Executive Summary

From 150 to 200 words of short, direct and complete sentences, the executive
summary should be informative enough to serve as a substitute for reading the project paper
itself. It states the rationale and the objectives of the project. Do not put citations or quotes in
this section. Avoid beginning the abstract with “This paper/document/project/
study/project/…”

Table of Contents

Observe the following format:

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Project Context
1.2 Purpose and Description
1.3 Objectives
1.4 Scope and Limitations

List of Tables
List of Figures

Note that the page numbering for preliminary pages like title page, etc. is based on
roman numerals while the page numbering for main body of the document is based on
decimal numbers. Thus, the first page of Chapter 1 is at 1.
CHAPTERS

The Capstone Project shall be composed of five (5) chapters namely:

• Chapter 1 – Introduction
• Chapter 2 – Review of Related Literature/Systems
• Chapter 3 – Technical Background
• Chapter 4 – Methodology
• Chapter 5 - Recommendations

Chapter 1 – Introduction

The introduction shall be composed of 4 parts:

• Project Context
• Purpose and Description

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• Objectives
• Scope and Limitations

The project context shall be written in paragraph form and shall describe the current
situation of the locale and the problems that they encounter that the group is trying to
resolve.

The purpose and description shall be written in paragraph form and shall describe
the features of the project, the flow of the system once it is implemented and the person(s),
who will benefit from the system.

The objectives shall be written in bulleted format and shall describe the main
objectives of the systems. The developers may write the advantages of the system. Objectives
shall begin with the word “To…”.

The scope and limitations shall be written in paragraph format and shall describe the
coverage/working environment of the project in detail. It shall also discuss the limitations or
what the system cannot do or provide.

Chapter 2 – Review of Related Literature and Systems

The review of related literature/systems shall be composed of 3 parts:

• Review of Related Literatures
• Review of Related Systems
• Insights from the Reviewed Documents

The review of related literatures shall be written in paragraph format. It shall contain
at least 20 published researches regarding their topic and shall be within 5 years. Example, if
the study is for the year 2020, literatures cited will be between 2016 to 2020 only. The title
of the research shall also be provided before the paragraph.

The review of related systems shall be written in paragraph format. It shall contain at
least 2 related projects regarding the topic and shall be within 5 years. The title of the project
shall be provided first before the paragraph.

The insights from the reviewed documents shall be written in paragraph format and
shall contain all the learnings of the group from the related literatures and systems they had
cited.

Chapter 3 – Technical Background

The technical background shall be composed of 2 parts:

• Background of the Current System
• Proposed System

The background of the current system shall be written in paragraph and shall have
figures showing the current system before the solution. The developers can describe the
hardware, software, network and people within the current system.

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The proposed system shall be written in paragraph and shall have figures showing
the proposed system after implementation. The developers can describe the hardware,
software, network and people that will be used and will use the proposed system.

Chapter 4 – Methodology

The methodology shall be composed of 4 parts:

• Requirements Analysis
• Requirements Documentation
• Design of Software/System
• Development and Testing

The requirements analysis shall be written in paragraph format and shall state the
requirements cited by the proposed users of the system.

The requirements documentation shall be written in paragraph format and shall

describe the data gathering process (for example: interview, document analysis, observation,
article reviews). Figures can be included to provide evidences for the processes done.

The design of Software/System shall be written in paragraphs with the following

figures provided: (a) detailed Gantt chart, (b) context diagram, (c) level 0 DFD, (d) level 1
DFD, (e) use case diagram, (f) normalization, (g) entity relationship diagram, (h) data
dictionary, (i) physical network design (for NAD), and (j) logical network design (for NAD).

The development and testing shall be written in paragraph with the following figures
provided: (a) coding interface and (b) screenshots during the testing phase.

Chapter 5 – Recommendations

The recommendation shall only have 1 part:

• Recommendations

The recommendations shall be written in paragraph format and shall describe the
recommendations from the evaluators and the developers for the future revisions or versions
of the project.

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UNIT IV. FORMAT FOR REFERENCES, CITATIONS, AND QUOTATIONS

The following discussions are based from the American Psychological Association
(APA) format*.

Handling Quotations in your Text

When using APA format, the author-date method of citation is being followed. This
means that the author’s last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in
the text, and a complete reference should appear in the reference list.

Examples:
Smith (2017) compared reaction times . . .
In a recent study of reaction times (Smith, 2017), . . .**
In 2017, Smith compared reaction times . . .
Smith, et al. (2017) compared reaction times . . .
In a recent study of reaction times (Smith, et.al., 2017). . . .**
In 2017, Smith, et.al., compared reaction times . . .
Short Quotations

To indicate short quotations (fewer than 40 words) in your text, enclose the quotation
within double quotation marks. Provide the author, year, and specific page citation in the text,
and include a complete reference in the reference list. Punctuation marks such as periods,
commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Questions marks and
exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the
quotation but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.
Examples:

She stated “The placebo effect disappeared when behaviours were studied in this manner”
(Miele, 1993). But she did not clarify which behaviours were studied.
According to Miele (1993). “The placebo effect disappeared when behaviours were studied
in this manner”.
Miele (1993) found that “The placebo effect disappeared” in this case, but what will the next
step in researching this issue be?
Long Quotations

Place quotations longer than 40 words in a free-standing block of typewritten lines,

and omit quotation marks. Starts the quotation on a new line, indented five spaces from the
left margin. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any
subsequent paragraph within the quotation five space from the new margin. Maintain double
spacing throughout. If you choose to use single-spacing, then it has to be consistent all
throughout the document/essay. The parenthetical citation should come after closing
punctuation mark.

Example:

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Miele’s 1993 study found the following:

The placebo effect disappeared when behaviours were studied in this

manner. Furthermore, the behaviours were never exhibited again, even
when real drugs were administered. Earlier studies conducted by the
same group of researcher at the hospital were clearly premature in
attributing the results to a placebo effect.
Reference List

The reference list should appear at the end of your document. It provides the
information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the document.
The reference list is arranged alphabetically regardless of its sources. Each source you cite in
the document must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list
must be cited in your text. Note that online sources are highly discouraged and kept to a
minimum.

Basic Rules

• Author’s names are inverted (last name first); give last name initials for all authors of
a particular work. Your reference list should be alphabetized by author’s last names.
If you have more than one work by a particular author, order them by publication
date, oldest to newest (thus a 2015 article would appear before 2017 article). When
an author appears as a sole author and as the first author of a group, list the one-
author entries first. If no author is given for a particular source, alphabetize by the
title of the piece and use a shortened version of the title for parenthetical citations.
• Use “&” instead of “and” when listing multiple authors of a single work.
• Each item in the reference list should be hanging indent.
• All references should be single-spaced. Each entry is separated from the next by a
double space.
• Capitalize only the first word of a title or subtitle of a work. Underline titles of books
and journals.
• Note that the underlining in entries often continues beneath commas and periods.

Basic Forms for Sources in Print

An article in a periodical (such as a journal, proceedings, newspaper, or magazine)

Author, A. A.. Author. B. B.. & Author C. C. (Year of Publication, and month and of publication
for daily, weekly, or monthly publication). Title of article. Title of periodical. Volume number,
pages.

N.B. You need list only the volume number if the periodical uses continuous pagination
throughout a particular volume. If each issues begins with page 1. Then you should list the
issue number as well: Title of Periodical Volume (issue), pages.

Examples;

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Journal article, one author

Harlow, H. E. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of

Comparative and Physiological Psychology. 55, 893-896

Journal article, more than one author.

Kernis, M. H. Cornell. D. P., Sun C. R. Berry, A., & Harlow. T. (1993). There’s more to self-esteem
than whether it is high or low;The importance of stability of self-esteem Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 65 1190-1204.

Conference proceedings
Orasan, C. & Krishna R. (2000). An Open Architecture for the Construction and Administration
of Corpora. In: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Language Resources
and Evaluation (LREC-2000), pp 22-29.

Work discussed in a secondary source

Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins. P., & Haller. M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route
and parallel-distributed-processing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.

N.B Give the secondary source in the references list; in the text, name the original work, and
give a citation for the secondary source. For example, if Seidenberg and McClelland’s work is
cited in Coltheart et al, and you did not read the original work, list the Coltheart et al,
reference in the References. In the text, use the following citation: Seidenberg and
McClelland’s study (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins, & Haller, 1993)

Magazine article, one author

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

5.3.5.2 A non-periodical (such as a book, report, brochure, or audiovisual media)

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Location:
Publisher.
N.B. For “Location.” You should always list the city, but you should also include the state if
the city is unfamiliar or if the city could be confused with one in another state.

Examples;

Book
Calfee, R.C., & Valencia. R.R (1991). APA guide to preparing manuscripts for journal
publication. Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association.

A government publication

National Institute of Mental Health. (1990). Clinical Training in serious mental illness (DHHS
Publication No. ADM 90-1679). Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

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A book or article with no author or editor named

Merriam Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield. MA: Merriam
Webster.

New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart-failure. (1993. July 15). The
Washington Post, p. A12.

N.B. For parenthetical citations of sources with no author named, use a shortened version of
the title instead of an author’s name. Use quotation marks and underlining as appropriate.
For example, parenthetical citations of the two sources above would appear as follows:
(Merriam-Webster’s 1993) and (“New Drug,” 1993).

A translated work and/or a republished work

Laplace, P.S. (1951). A philosophical essay on probabilities (F. W. Truscott & F. L. Emory,
Trans).

New York: Dover. (Original work published 1814).

A review of a book, film, television program, etc.

Baumeister, R.F. (1993). Exposing the self-knowledge myth [Review of the book The self-
knower: A hero under control.]. Contemporary Psychology, 38, 466-467.

An entry in an encyclopedia.

Baumeister, P.G. (1993). Relativity. In the new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501-508).
Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.

Part of a non-periodical (such as a book chapter or an article in a collection)

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor
(Eds.). Title of book (pages of chapter). Location: Publisher.

N.B. When you list the pages of the chapter or essay in parentheses after the book title, use
“pp.” before the numbers: (pp. 1-21). This abbreviation, however, does not appear before the
page numbers in periodical references.

Examples:

An article or chapter of the book.

O’Neil, J. M.., & Egan J. (1992). Men’s and women’s gender role journeys; Metaphor for healing,
transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.). Gender issues across the life cycle (pp.
107-123). New York: Springer.

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Basic Forms for Electronics Sources

A Web Page

Author, A. A. (Date of Publication or Revision). Title of full work [online]. Available: full web
address. (Date of access).

N.B. “Date of access” should indicate the date you visited the website. This is important
because online information is frequently altered.

Example:
Daly. B. (1997). Writing Argumentative Essays. [online]. Available:
http://www.elsplanet.com/teachertools/argueweb/frnpage.htm. (May 12. 1998)

An online journal or magazine

Author. A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of Publication). Title of article. In Title of full work
[online]. Available: full web address. (Date of Access).

Example:
Kenneth, I. (1995). A Buddhist response to the nature of human rights. [9 pars.] Journal of
Buddhist Ethics [online serial]. 2. Available: http://cac.psu.edu/jbe/twocont.html. (June 1,
1998)

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UNIT V. TECHNICAL AND USER’S MANUAL

TECHNICAL MANUAL

For those using the object-oriented methodology. Kindly use the following CLASS
DICTIONARY FORMAT for your technical manual.

For each class that you have created.

CLASS

SUPERCLASS

PROPERTIES 1. <property name> - <purpose and constraint>

2.
3.

If you are creative enough you may want to come up with your own table format. Just
make sure that you have the minimum requirements outlined above for each class.

The design and implementations issues of your class’ methods are discussed in the
Design and Implementation chapter (which can include the pseudocode). There is no
pseudocode needed in your Technical Manual, nor are you required to do IPO.

For each function used from an existing library, kindly explain them in your
Theoretical Framework chapter.

You may also choose other tools, notations and diagrams that apply best to your
development methodology if object-oriented methodology is not suitable.

USER’S MANUAL

All software systems are required by the SOFTDEV Course to have an ONLINE HELP
and/or USER’S MANUAL.

The User’s Manual is oriented towards end users, who might be naïve users.
Therefore, it gives a detailed step-by-step instruction on how to use each function and feature
of the system.

The suggested outline of the User’s Manual is as follows:

Title Page

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

This section gives an overview of the system. In includes the following subsection:

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1.1 System Requirements

This section lists the minimum hardware and software requirements needed to
properly execute the system.

1.2 Installation

This subsection contains instructions on how to install the system, and the list
necessary files and their respective directories.

1.3 Convention

This subsection presents the convention used in the manual, e.g., text In boldface for
emphasis on important concepts, text in italics are inputs from the users, etc.

2.0 Getting started

This section tarts with instructions on how to run the system, and the initial screen
that will be displayed. It then explains the major components of the system, e.g.., tool
bars, menu options, status bar, etc.

3.0 <Module / Feature 1>

Succeeding sections, from 3.0 to N.1, focus on the major modules or features of the
system. Each section contains detailed instructions on how to use the particular
modules, the available features and limitations of the module.
…

N.0. Messages

<Message Text>
Description:
action:

The messages must be arranged in ascending order, and may be grouped into subsection
(e.g., N.1 Error Messages, N.1 Status Messages, etc.).

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BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines
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UNIT VI. FORMS

Title Page

<Title of Project Paper>

LOGO

A CAPSTONE PROJECT

by:

<Last name, Middle Initial of Proponents>

<Date of Submission>

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BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines
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Project Paper Proposal Approval Sheet

The approval sheet is only printed upon submission of the final copy of the
project paper proposal. This is to be signed by the adviser and the panel members.

APPROVAL SHEET

This Project Paper Proposal here to entitled:

<Project Paper Proposal Title>

prepared and submitted by <proponents’

names> in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of B.S. in Information Technology
major in _________________________ has been
examined, accepted and approved.

<Name of Adviser>
Adviser

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BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines
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Final Project Paper Approval Sheet

The approval sheet is only printed upon submission of the final copy of the
project paper. This is to be signed first by the adviser, panel members and finally by
the CICT Dean.

APPROVAL SHEET

This project here to entitled <Project Paper Title>

prepared and submitted by <researchers’ names> in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of <program
name> major in ________________ has been examined and is
recommended for acceptance and approval for ORAL
EXAMINATION.
_______________ <Name of Adviser>__
Date Adviser
Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination with a
grade of PASSED.
<Name of Panel Chair>
Chair

<name of panel member> <name of panel member>

Member Member

Accepted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

degree of <program name> major in __________________.

Date: _____________ <Name of Dean>____

Dean, CICT

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BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines
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UNIT VII. FINAL PROJECT PAPER DEFENSE GUIDELINES

PROJECT PAPER DEFENSE

The Project Paper Defense normally takes 1 hour. Limit your presentation to 30 minutes.

Normally the presentation consists of the following:

Brief introduction
Objectives
Scope and Limitation
Design and Implementation
Software Demonstration and Results
Conclusion and Recommendation

The panel will ask you to step out for initial deliberation (normally 10 minutes), after
which you will be motioned back for questions and answers (normally 10 minutes).

The panel will ask you to step out for final deliberation (normally 5 minutes), after
which you will be motioned back for the final verdict and your clarification of the verdict
(normally 5 minutes).

If the verdict given is Accepted with Revisions,

1. Photocopy the Revision Sheet and return the original to the Capstone Project
Instructor.

2. Comply with the revision within five (5) unless otherwise stated. Please note of the
College deadline for submitting the approved project paper document (normally 2
weeks before the schedule of the final examination).

3. Submit the revised document to the Capstone Project Instructor with the Approval
Sheet as cover page and Evaluation Sheet as second page. Complete it with the page
number where the revisions are found on the Revision Sheet.

4. Follow-up within three (3) days if the panel finally approves it without revision.
Otherwise you go back to step 2. Note, you are not considered done if you did not
receive approval from all panel members.

5. Submit a hardcopy and softcopy (in CD) of the approved project paper document
to the Research Coordinator’s Office.

If the verdict is Not Accepted,

1. Photocopy the Revision Sheet and return the original to the Capstone Instructor.

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BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines
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2. Prepare a new your proposal and start from the Stage 1 of proposal defense.

CRITERIA FOR GRADING RESEARCH PAPER

The criteria for grading research outputs are as follows:
Criteria Maximum Points
Quality of content and analysis 30%
Originality and novelty of the
research work including its
20%
significant contribution to the
discipline
Relevance to the research thrusts
of NEUST based on the 10%
institution’s research agenda
Observance of the ethical and
10%
professional conduct of research
Format, style of writing &
10%
language mechanics
Organization & quality of oral
20%
presentation
TOTAL 100%
• For team research, members are graded as a team;
• Four (4) hard- and soft-copies in PDF format shall be submitted to the Dean’s office
which will be distributed as follows:
- Capstone Project Adviser
- Capstone Project Instructor
- CICT Learning Resource Center
- CICT Research Office

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BSIT Capstone Project Guidelines
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REFERENCES

College of Information and Communications Technology Research Manual

CHED Memorandum 25 series of 2015 (Guidelines for Undergraduate Thesis/Capstone

Project for Computer Programs)

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