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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

College of Professional Studies

Department of Professional Studies

Bachelor of Science, Homeland Security and Emergency Management

HSE490 SUPERVISED SENIOR PROJECT GUIDE

Rev. Oct 1, 2021

For questions about this guide, contact: Kenneth Christopher, D.P.A., C.P.P., Professor

[email protected]

Margaret Price, J.D., Professor [email protected]

Academic Program Directors

BS, Homeland Security and Emergency Management National University

Description of the Capstone Project

Students of homeland security and emergency management undertake the supervised

Capstone Project once they have completed nearly all core courses in the program. The Project is

coordinated by a faculty advisor. The Capstone Project is intended to demonstrate the student’s

ability to carry out independent scholarly research, to draw logical conclusions from data

gathered, and to present the results in a clear, intelligible, and consistent form, in keeping with

the established convention of the scholarly community. Students near the end of their program

will have the opportunity to synthesize the course work while applying their knowledge to a

practical problem culminating in the Capstone Project. The student may choose an area of

research which has interested him/her in the process of taking another course.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to meet all of the requirements and NOT

the responsibility of the faculty advisor, who must ascertain that the standards have been met.

Students meet as a class once a week for two months either on ground, online, or by

appointment. Upon completion of the Project, students present the Project to their peers in an

open forum.

Goals of the Capstone Project

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire and

demonstrate the skills involved in developing and designing a viable research Project; collecting

and analyzing data; evaluating research data and drawing conclusions; making an oral

presentation of research findings; and applying the APA format.

Capstone Projects must address practical issues in homeland security and/or emergency

management and must do so in a rigorous fashion.

The Capstone Project challenges student and tests their abilities. Analytical research via

this project structure has proven its value over and over again. For instance, many students have

found Capstone Projects to be useful as writing samples in job searches. Some have developed

substantive and technical expertise in completing the capstone research that proved instrumental

in securing a job following graduation. In sum, it is documentation of a personal understanding

of professional competencies. It is designed to be an integrative experience for HSE students.

Objectives of the Capstone Project

Upon completion of the Project, students will be able to:

1. Develop a research question;

2. Formulate a testable research hypothesis;

3. Conduct a literature review;

4. Describe an appropriate methodology to answer the research question;

5. Collect and analyze data;

6. Draw conclusions and make recommendations based on the available data;

7. Make an oral presentation of research findings;

8. Show an understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the collection and reporting

of research data;

9. Understand the role research plays in the development of homeland security and/or

emergency management; and

10. Explain how diversity issues may influence choice of research topics, research

methodology, and the application of research findings to homeland security and/or

emergency management issues.

Requirements of the Capstone Project

Each Project must be organized into a four-chapter APA format on a topic related to the

field of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Research Projects will utilize a

methodology appropriate for the research topic.

Each student must present the findings of their research Project to the student’s faculty

advisor and peers in an open forum. The presentation is approximately 10-15 minutes in

duration.

Section 1: Organization of Contents

Elements

The following preliminary pages (numbered in lowercase Roman numerals) precede the

body of the Project, in this order:

◼ title page

◼ project approval page

◼ copyright page (if you plan to register a copyright)

◼ dedication page (optional)

◼ acknowledgments (optional)

◼ abstract

◼ table of contents

◼ list of tables (if appropriate)

◼ list of illustrations (charts, graphs, figures) (if appropriate)

◼ list of symbols (if appropriate)

◼ preface (optional)

Paginated in Arabic numerals are the text and other pages following the preliminary

pages arranged in the following order:

◼ text (chapters of the manuscript)

◼ endnotes

◼ appendices

◼ references

◼ index (optional)

Title Page

All Capstone Projects must carry the following information on the title page:

A research Project presented to the faculty of National University in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency

Management.

Refer to sample page in back.

Project Approval Page

The electronic signature of faculty advisor.

This page is necessary only if the Project is to be registered with the Federal Copyright

Office. The text appears immediately above the bottom margin of the page. This page is not

numbered. Refer to sample page in back.

Dedication

Use discretion in making a dedication. The dedication should be consistent with the topic

of the research.

Acknowledgments

Use discretion in making acknowledgments. It is customary to acknowledge special

assistance from extramural agencies. There is no obligation that assistance received from the

faculty advisor be acknowledged. Acknowledgments should be couched in terms consistent with

the scholarly nature of the work. They must be on a separate page, cannot exceed one page, and

should not exceed one paragraph in length, and should adopt a restrained tone. Your name and

date should not appear on this page.

Abstract

All abstracts must be double-spaced and the title should simply be ABSTRACT. The

abstract can be no more than 350 words. It should present clearly and concisely the main

objectives of the study, the results, and their significance. References are generally not included

in the abstract.

Table of Contents

The table of contents is designed for the convenience of the reader. It should consist of

the acknowledgment page, abstract, list of tables, list of illustrations, list of abbreviations or

symbols, appendices and references as well as the major sections in the text. Do not list the

“Title Page” or “Table of Contents” in the table of contents. Please note the following:

◼ you must have dot leaders between the end of a heading and its page number

◼ headings in the table of contents should appear as they do in the text

List of Tables

The term “table” applies to numerical and statistical data set in vertical or horizontal

alignment. If there are tables in your text/appendix, a list of tables must be included. The “List

of Tables” is on a page by itself and arranged in the same general format as the Table of

Contents. Type the table numbers in Arabic numerals, and the titles in capital and small letters,

with period leaders extending from the last letter of the title to the page number. Please note:

◼ Titles may be shorter than they appear in the text as long as they are not misleading.

Titles may not be longer than the titles in the text.

◼ Numbering of tables. You have two options: (a) You may begin by numbering the

first table with the numeral “1” and continue to number your tables consecutively

throughout the entire manuscript; or (b) you may number the first table in each

chapter with the numeral “1” and continue to number your tables consecutively

within each chapter. For example, if chapter four has three tables and chapter five

has three tables, the numbering would be as follows: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3; 5.1, 5.2, 5.3.

◼ Single space within titles, which are longer than one line, but double space between

each entry.

◼ Tables one page or less in length should never be divided. Tables must not exceed the

usual margins of the page in the manuscript.

List of Illustrations (charts, graphs, figures)

This list is also placed on a page by itself and arranged in the same general format as the

Table of Contents. Designate figure numbers with Arabic numerals, and plate numbers, if any,

with capital Roman numerals. If the Project contains both figures and plates, arrange them on

separate lists.

List of Symbols

If symbols are needed in the text, a list should be provided to explain their definitions or

meanings. The list should be placed on a separate page and included where specified by these

instructions.

Preface

A preface, while optional, enables you to explain your purpose and perhaps justify your

choice of a topic. The preface is also an appropriate place to present a summary of the Project,

including a description of what is to be found in each chapter. If utilized, it is part of the

preliminary pages (numbered with Roman numerals) and therefore precedes the main text.

Text

The organization of the text varies somewhat with the subject matter. The Project is

divided into five chapters, each chapter titled and beginning on a new page. In general, the

content of the five chapters include:

Chapter I: Introduction

The first chapter provides an overview of the Project. The specific subsections of this

chapter will vary, depending on the subject matter. In general, the first chapter should include

the following information:

Background of the Study: provide a brief history of the ideas and issues related to the

research topic. This section should not be a review of the literature (though some information

may be repeated in the literature review), but a description of the events leading up to this

research.

Problem Statement: this is the heart of the research Project. This subsection states the

reason(s) why this research Project is important. A good way to approach the Problem Statement

is to address the following: Because of x and y, there is a problem in homeland security or

emergency management; if only we knew more about z, things might be better. The research

Project should be designed to answer z, which is the research question.

Students first might want to pose a question to be answered, and then rephrase that

question into the form of a statement.

Purpose and Objectives of the Study: list the component parts of the research question.

Rarely is a problem in public administration one dimensional. This subsection should describe

the specific elements of the problem being addressed by the research. It should also have at least

4 objectives. This section is written in the form of a discussion rather than just listing the

objectives. Chapter II will focus on a discussion surrounding these objectives.

Rationale of the Study: develop the reasons for examining the elements described in the

purpose and objectives section. Explain why those elements were selected, how they relate to

the topic of the research, and how they related to each other. In other words, explain how will

accomplishing the purpose and objectives answers the research question, and is something we

should care about.

Definition of Terms: list definitions for only those terms which might be unfamiliar to

the reader, especially those which can be considered terms of art and operational definitions.

Definitions should have references if they are of a technical nature.

Limitations of the Study: describe self imposed limits on the research, including those

that relate to both the breadth and depth of the inquiry. Also include limitations that exist due to

factors beyond your control. Describe the (potential) effects the specific limitations may have on

your research.

Theoretical Framework: if the research is driven by, or relates to, a particular

theoretical orientation, provide a brief overview of that orientation and how it relates to the

research.

Research Hypotheses: based on the purpose and objectives, what are the expected

outcomes for the research? Hypotheses are fundamentally predictions about the answers to the

research question and its component parts. The research hypotheses are a critical element of the

research Project: they will guide the literature review; heavily influence the research

methodology needed to obtain data that will either support or reject the hypotheses; and provide

the focus for data analysis, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.

Summary of Remaining Chapters: include a brief summary of the first chapter and

describe the content of the remaining chapters. If a preface is utilized, this subsection is not

needed.

Chapter II: Literature Review

The second chapter should not be confused with the Introduction in Chapter I. The

introduction provides a review of the topic; the Literature Review summarizes what has been

said about the topic. The Literature Review is not a series of book (or journal article) reports. A

good literature review tells a story about the topic, using published works to support what is

written. The chapter should be organized in such a way as to (a) bring together the most

important writings about the research question in general, followed by (b) a closer examination

of the writings related to the component parts detailed in the Purpose and Objectives subsection

of Chapter I. It is very helpful to the reader if the ideas are presented in the same order

throughout the Project.

This chapter will contain the greatest number of citations, so it is important that they be

done correctly. Each citation must have a corresponding listing in the Reference section.

The Literature Review should not include data that will be used to answer the research

question or test your research hypotheses. If the Project is utilizing an analysis of published

research to answer the research question, the Literature Review should provide the background

and take the reader up to the point where those studies begin.

**Students are cautioned not to use studies in this section as well as in chapter III. Do

not use this section to tell the reader what information is going to be in chapter III, use it to talk

about prior findings in research.

Chapter III: Results

This chapter includes a presentation and analysis of the data, not how the data was

collected. The tone of the chapter is purely objective, devoid of assumptions and interpretations.

Stay away from words that are biased. See APA manual for examples of biased wording.

Following a summary of the research data, Chapter III should be organized in a manner

consistent with the research hypotheses: first, present data related to the first hypotheses; and

second, analyze those data to determine whether the first hypothesis can be supported or rejected.

Follow this sequence for each hypothesis.

Tables are an effective way to present quantitative data. Qualitative data should be

summarized, as opposed to verbatim transcriptions.

If you use a study in this section, it is not appropriate to also use the same data in chapter

II.

Chapter IV: Discussion, Conclusions, Ethical Reflection and Recommendations

This chapter involves (a) a discussion of the research Project, including the findings,

interpretation of the results, and problems and/or limitations; (b) a conclusion: what did the

author find? What did the author learn? and (c) a reflection on the ethical considerations of your

project (see Writing and Ethical Reflection below for guidance); and (d) recommendations for

changes in policy or practice, future research, or anything else that will direct solutions to the

problem(s) that were the focus of the research.

Writing an Ethical Reflection

This component gets you to think about the ethics of your project, that is, it helps you to

identify where your motivations derive from and to what ends they are pointed. Ethics as a field

of study is a rich one, but in this component of your project, we are only interested in

familiarizing ourselves with some of the basics in ethical thinking. To guide you, simply follow

the steps below to reflect on your project.

• Step 1: Review Framework for Making Ethical Decisions: Read the following website

put together by a collaboration of ethicists under the guidance of Brown University. The

main objective here is to focus on Parts #3 and #4 where we start to apply ethical

frameworks to our own projects. But review the other parts as well for an understanding

of what ethics is and how it applies to your case. Reading: Brown University,

“Framework for Making Ethical Decisions” at

https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-

ethical-decisions

• Step 2: Answer the Following questions about your project to the best of your ability.

Refer back to Brown University’s “Framework of Making Ethical Decisions” for an

explanation on each step in the process.

a) Recognize the Ethics of Your Project: Do your best to figure out what the ethical

issues are that are involved in your project. If you are working on the use of facial

recognition technology in surveillances, for example, why is this an ethical issue? And

what are your motivations? Use the three approaches below to think about the ethics of

your project.

A Consequentialist approach might argue that our actions should “achieve the best

consequences.” Why would addressing facial recognition technology lead to the best

consequences for ourselves or for society? The aim here is to “produce the most good.”

A Duty-Bound approach would argue that we have a duty “to do the right thing.” But

why is this the right thing? What social values do you believe oblige us to act in this

way? The aim here is “to perform the right action.”

A Virtue approach would argue that acting gives us the opportunity to be “virtuous.”

Why would addressing homelessness allow us to act with virtue? The aim here is “to

develop your character.”

b) Consider the Parties Involved: Consider who (other than yourself) is involved in this

action. Who could benefit or be injured by your project?

c) Gather the Relevant Information to Your Project: Consider what information you

think you should have before you pursue this project.

d) Formulate the Purpose of Your Project and Consider Alternatives: Follow each of

Brown University’s questions below to formulate your actions and alternatives.

How will my project contribute to the most good and do the least harm (The Utilitarian

Approach)?

How does my project respect or enable the rights of all who have a stake in the decision

(The Rights Approach)?

How does my project aim to treat people equally or proportionately (The Justice

Approach)?

How does my project contribute to the positive good of the community as a whole, not

just to some members (The Common Good Approach)?

And,

How does my project allow me to act as the sort of person I should be (The Virtue

Approach)?

e) Consider the Decisions You’ve Made in Your Project: Consider what you have

decided to do in this project. What is the actual action (and it can be action through

research, through performance, or some other action) you are doing? Do you feel

satisfied with your course of action on your project?

f) Reflect on the Outcome of Your Project: After completing your project, consider the

outcome. Do you feel satisfied with the activity? Do you have second thoughts or

reflections pertinent to it now that you are finished?

Endnotes

Endnotes supplement or amplify information in the text. They should be used sparingly:

if the information is of central importance, it should be included in the text; if the information is

irrelevant or nonessential, it should be excluded; however, if the information is tangential, and

more fully develops an element of the text, endnotes may be appropriate. Endnotes can be

included at the end of each chapter or at the end of all the text.

Appendix or Appendixes

The main purpose of the appendix (or appendixes) is (are) to provide detailed information

that would be distracting if presented in the text. For example, a survey instrument or

questionnaire, a data collection form, or a list of variables would be appropriate for placement in

an appendix.

References

Only those works cited in the text appear in the Reference section and, conversely, every

work in the Reference section must appear in the text. The Reference page is always the last

section of the manuscript. Appendices should come before the references. The last page of the

references should be the last page of the manuscript. It is important to properly cite all references

according to the APA manual 6th edition. Further, students must properly cite tables, charts and

so forth according to the APA manual.

Index

An index can be extremely useful, but also difficult to create. Consider including an

index only if word processing software facilitates its creation.

Section 2: Format for Text

Style

The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program, has adopted the style of

the American Psychological Association (APA). While there are a number of style manuals

available, all Capstone Projects must conform to APA style as described in the Publication

Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Edition). It is the responsibility for

students to make sure their Project conforms to the APA style. The title page is specific to

National University, and therefore does not use running headers.

Margins

Standardized margins are required on every page to ensure that no part of the Project is

cut off when it is bound and trimmed. Copy machines and printers may shift text on a page.

Therefore the following are minimum margins:

Left: 1.5 inches (this margin is wide for binding requirements)

Right: 1 inch

Top and Header: 1 inch measured from top of page to top of page number

Bottom and Footer: 1 inch measured from bottom of page to bottom of page number

Line and Word Spacing

Double spacing, left margins, is required except where the style calls for single spacing

(refer to APA Manual). Widows (the last line of a paragraph as the first line of a page) or

orphans (a heading or the first line of a paragraph as the last line on a page) are not acceptable.

Words must not be divided in a way which leaves one letter of the word on either line or the past

tense ed of a verb at the end of the first line. APA calls for only one space between words.

Lengthy quotations (a prose quotation of two or more sentences which runs to five or more

typewritten lines) must be in block form, single-spaced, intended five spaces from the margin on

both sides, and not enclosed in quotation marks (see style manual for specific details) Care must

also be taken to observe all rules for making omissions in the quotation, including omission of

the beginning of the first sentence of a new paragraph in the quoted source.

Punctuation

Many common manuscript problems involve punctuation. Selecting committee members

who are good writers and who are familiar with APA style can alleviate most of these problems.

Pagination

Every page must be counted in the numbering. With the exception of the title page, a

number must appear on every page. Placement of page numbers must be consistent throughout

and fit within the margins. Page numbers for preliminary pages using Roman numerals appear

centered at the bottom of the page; pages using Arabic numerals appear in the upper right edge

of the paper, one inch from the right edge and one inch from the top.

Chapters

Each chapter must begin on a new page. Chapters should be numbered. Refer to the

APA Style Manual for different styles of headings.

Section 3: Illustrations

The purpose of illustrations (drawings, photographs, diagrams, maps, tables, plates, etc.)

is to present information more clearly than can be done with words. Legends or titles should be

self-explanatory, concise, and consistent in form with APA. Refer to the APA Style Manual for

specific details.

Tables

The term “table” applies to numerical and statistical data set in vertical and horizontal

alignment. Tables over half a page in length should be placed on a separate page. Tables too

wide to be accommodated on one page may be typed on two or more pages, pasted together, and

either folded or reduced to page size by a suitable photographic process. Lengthy tables should

be placed in the Appendix.

Footnotes for tables are to be indicated by standard symbols (*, etc.) or lower-case letters

(a, b, etc.). Do not use numbers for footnotes to tables. Footnotes are placed at the bottom of the

table, not the bottom of the page.

Figures

The term “figure” refers to illustrations such as graphs, charts, diagrams, photographs,

and maps, but not statistical data presented in tables. Refer to the APA Style Manual for the

various styles.

Section 4: The Final Copy

Typing and Printing of the Manuscript

The Capstone Project is expected to be the product of neat and careful work by all

concerned. The physical appearance must be immaculate and convey an impression of pride and

quality on behalf of the student, the faculty advisor, the program, and the university.

Your manuscript must be prepared using a word processor-personal computer.

However, all print in the Project must meet the following standards:

• Fonts vary in size depending on the software used. The Capstone Project must be

typed in Times New Roman 12-point font. Only non-italic fonts may be used for

the core of the manuscript text. Type size may be smaller for footnotes, captions,

and for information in figures and tables. Italics should be used only to highlight

specific words or phrases in the text, and on book and journal tiles, and only

rarely and in accordance with the APA Style Manual.

• Spacing: APA calls for one space between sentences. Students may use either, but

be consistent.

• The type size should be 12-point for all material in the text (this includes any

reduced material which may be included in the Appendix).

• The print should be letter quality with dark black characters that are consistently

clear and dense. Dot matrix or letters with “scuff marks” are unacceptable. If

you are uncertain about the quality of print generated by your computer, bring a

sample to your instructor or print in on campus or at the library.

• Print on one side of the page only.

Paper

Hard copies are not required for this course.

Reproduction

Reproduced copies are acceptable if high quality photocopying is used. Photocopied

signatures are acceptable for all copies except the original.

Number of Copies to Submit

One electronic copy of the completed project is required for submission. The copies of

the Capstone Project are turned in to the course instructor who will keep one copy of the Project

on file.

Sample of Title Page for Capstone Project

YOUR TITLE

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT

DECEMBER 2018

Jane E. Doe

Capstone Project Faculty Advisor

(Faculty Advisor, MPA)

Sample of Project Approval Page

CAPSTONE PROJECT APPROVAL FORM

I certify that I have read the Project of Jane E. Doe entitled Instructions for the Preparation of the

Capstone Project and that, in my opinion, it is satisfactory in scope and quality for the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management at National University.

Approved by:

(Faculty Advisor, MPA) Date