Here we are, at the culmination of several weeks of effort... *Drum roll, please* The all-important first draft! This is the deliverable that, if you've been following the series, we have been working towards from the start. We began by selecting a topic and submitting a Topic paper, identifying our research question(s), and establishing its importance in the context of communications theory and practice. The next step involved outlining the paper and considering how the various elements - literature review, methods, findings, discussion - would complement each other once we complete the research. Then came the annotated bibliography, perhaps the heaviest lift in the capstone process to date, for which we selected the sources we intend to analyze and began conceptualizing their relationship with one another and assessing their analytical value.

Importantly, as I have said before, each step in the capstone writing process is designed to provide opportunities for constructive criticism from your faculty member to ensure that you are building your paper on a solid foundation. After annotating your sources and receiving feedback from your professor, it is time to crack open those sources and get to work! You are now ready to perform your content analysis, which involves a thorough reading of each of your sources (viewing if the content is visual, listening if the content is audio, etc.). Now, I know this may seem like the most daunting step in the capstone process - and, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, for me it absolutely is. That said, take a breath and offer yourself some words of affirmation. And remember, as an MCM student, you learned to work smarter, not harder.

In my case, the sources I consulted are almost exclusively academic journal articles from peer-reviewed publications. As any undergraduate and graduate is well aware, these articles can be quite dense and can take a considerable amount of time to, well, decipher. However, let me provide you with a step-by-step approach to help get you started:

1. First, begin by reading the Abstract of the journal article. This is essentially the roadmap the authors provide outlining their research question, methodology, and findings. If a particular element is significant, you'll likely find it in the abstract.
2. Proceed to the Introduction of the article, which you can scan to provide context to the source you are evaluating.
3. Next, you will want to pay especially close attention to the Literature Review, which helps to set the theoretical basis for the inquiry by grounding it in prior research. Highlight significant theories and prior findings the author(s) rely on.
4. Unless you are analyzing content through a methodological lens, you can skim the Methods section to make sure you understand how the author is looking to answer their research question. Make note of whether their approach is new or well established.
5. Now, proceed to the Results or Findings section of your source and pay particular attention to mentions of the research question and hypotheses. This is where the authors report the results of their systematic approach to answer the research question. There is often a lot of statistical jargon here which can be overwhelming, so be on the look out for key words as you read.
6. Finally, you arrive at the Discussion or Conclusion section. Pay attention, as this is where the author situates their findings within the context of their research question and explains their significance. This can be a good point to stop and make sure you've highlighted the relevant elements of the paper, especially if the author calls them out!

Congratulations! If you've completed the process above, you just finished reading your first article. And while yes, it is likely the first of many, many more sources, but this process shows that your approach need not be stressful if you make it systematic. (Hint, hint: that's a sign of strong research skills, which you have developed in the MCM program.) In other words, you got this! Now, it is possible that, in the course of your research, you will encounter significant trends or themes in the research that make you re-evaluate your initial research question. Again, breathe, this is okay! In fact, I am speaking from personal experience. I found that, in the course of reading my sources, they were speaking more to macro-level themes that were a bit broader than the narrower question I originally conceived.

Yet, there is no need to fear - your faculty member is here to help! I contacted my capstone professor, Dr. Albert Widman, and shared with him a new research question and a brief explanation as to why I felt the changes were appropriate. NOTE: It is ESSENTIAL that you consult your professor before proceeding with your initial draft if you do decide to modify your research question. This gives your faculty member an opportunity to let you know if the change is feasible and, if necessary, to steer you back in the right direction. In my case, Dr. Widman approved of my changes and understood my rationale. At this point, having read my sources and reframed my research question, I was ready to write my draft capstone.

When writing your capstone paper, think of each section as a puzzle piece that, one by one, comes together to present the story of your research. This begins, much like the aforementioned journal articles, with an Introduction. According to Dr. Widman, a strong introduction will provide the reader with a familiarity with your topic and an overview of the research methodology you employed. At the same time, the introduction defines the 'problem' your research seeks to address and establishes the significance of the research. And, be sure to state your research question(s) in the introduction.

The next, and likely lengthiest, section of the capstone paper is the Literature Review - the theoretical foundation of your paper. Here, you present the sources you analyzed objectively and concisely, making note of major concepts, theories, and existing research findings concerning your topic. Don't just summarize your sources, synthesize them: explain how the findings relate to one another and the topic you are studying. Stay focused and stay brief! The next, and likely shortest, section of the paper is the Methodology section. Most MCM students, myself included, will conduct content-based research. In the methodology section, describe the approach you used to gather information, including the types of sources you consulted and where your sources come from.

In the penultimate section, the Data Presentation or Findings section, you present the findings from your content analysis. This is your opportunity to identify major themes in your research, and verbatim quotes from sources are encouraged. Remember, you are merely presenting the data that you analyzed. That said, after doing all this hard work, I am sure you have a lot to say about your topic - I know I did! Luckily, we finally get our chance in the Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations section. Here, you may provide your own, original perspectives and creative thoughts on the topic in light of your research. This is also your chance to identify opportunities for future research by yourself and others.

Woo! That was definitely a lot. But, look at what we have accomplished: we've written the initial draft of our MCM capstone paper! And, importantly, we did not complete this process alone - our faculty members are there at each step in the process to make sure we stay on the right track. Now, once you've reviewed what you've written a couple times and cited your work in the References section, it's time to hit send! Again, you get the chance to receive a final round of feedback before presenting your capstone paper to your colleagues and the MCM community. Colloquium, anybody? Now, now, I am getting ahead of myself. Marvel at the fruits of your labor before we embark on the final step in the capstone process. Until next time, happy writing everyone!

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