8 Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid in an Aviation Capstone Project

According to estimates, a college degree in the US costs an average of $132,860. While this investment in your future can be well worth the outlay—you don't want to jeopardize it by getting low marks on your aviation capstone project. Capstone projects are the final piece of work you will hand in over the duration of most courses. The result you receive for your capstone project will often determine whether or not you graduate.

Besides this, capstone projects can also serve as valuable portfolio pieces to include in your resume once you have graduated. Because the successful completion of one's aviation capstone project is key, you need to ensure that you aren't falling into any common capstone project pitfalls.

Fortunately, there are a number of capstone project mistakes that can be easily avoided through correct planning. Continue reading to find out what these are.

1. Selecting the Wrong Topic

One of the first, most common, and most detrimental mistakes to avoid for your capstone project is selecting the wrong topic. Selecting the right topic is key to the success of your paper. Therefore you should plan to spend adequate time brainstorming topic directions. When narrowing down your topic choice, keep in mind that the topic you choose should not be:

• Too broad
• Too narrow
• Overly problematic to investigate
• Not feasible to cover with the available time and resources
• Unrelated to your coursework and area of study
• Controversial
• Without adequate and reliable sources to cite

Let's briefly expand on why it is important to avoid topics that have the above issues. With regard to topic scope, narrow topics do usually provide enough substance and result in papers that are too short and not of academic impact. Overly broad topics, on the other hand, can result in lines of research that are too vague. An example of this could be "Aviation Safety" compared to something more specific, such as a topic on runway safety.

When it comes to topics around controversial issues, these can sway your grade if your tutor has any pre-established prejudices. Lastly, topics that lack adequate supporting information, or are problematic or too extensive to cover can result in an undeveloped project and lost marks. If you are having trouble selecting a suitable project topic, we offer assistance in developing capstone project topics.

2. Starting Too Late

The majority of aviation/aeronautics capstone projects span two semesters. The reason for this is to provide you with enough time to compile an extensive, well researched, and impactful paper. To do this, you need to take advantage of the two-semester time frame. 

Not only will this ensure that you don't run out of time and compromise your marks, but it will also help you to formulate a comprehensive project that is directly based on your coursework.

3. Not Following Instructions

Different aviation programs will have varying and very specific capstone project instructions and requirements. To ensure you don't lose marks from missing an instruction, study these carefully. If there are any areas where you need additional clarification, you should speak to your tutor and make sure you understand all the requirements. 

4. Not Using the Prescribed Structure

Most aviation programs have specific, prescribed structures that students must follow in their capstone projects. If you deviate from this, you will lose marks unnecessarily. Therefore, ensure that you are in possession of the prescribed structure and layout. If you are not, you can request this from your tutor. 

5. Doing Inadequate Data Collection

A cornerstone of capstone projects is data collection. If your data collection methods are flawed, this will impact the overall quality of your project. 

One of the most important dissertation writing tips is to invest time and research into data collection methods. Methods must be appropriate for the study you are conducting and as comprehensive as possible. 

For example, if you are conducting a poll, you will need to ensure that participants form a true representation of your target groups. 

6. Citing Poor Sources

Another common dissertation mistake that can impact your capstone project severely is the use of poor sources. All sources referenced within your project need to be both reliable, and, in some cases, as current as possible. 

To ensure that your sources and referenced research are of high quality, spend the necessary time to investigate studies and sources you want to cite. To find reliable sources, you can make use of scholarly search engines, such as Google Scholar, Refseek, and Microsoft Academic Search.

7. Failing to Conduct Thorough Data Analysis

Another crucial area to invest time and work into during your aviation capstone project is data analysis. Even if your data collection methods and sources are of high quality, if your analysis is sub-par, this will undermine your results. Therefore, ensure that you use significance to show significance. Avoid any assumptions, overly extended leaps of logic, or inclusion of preconceived perceptions. 

As data analysis can be challenging, to ensure the success of your project you can also invest in help in this area. We, for example, offer professional SPSS data analysis assistance for capstone projects and dissertations. 

8. Not Checking for Errors

The final and most common mistake that graduates make during dissertation writing and editing is leaving grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in their final drafts. 

To avoid this, make sure that you proofread your final draft more than once. Reading the sections out loud to oneself can help with error discovery. 

Besides self-checking your writing, we would also advise that you utilize a professional service such as ours to check your dissertation. 

Make Your Aviation Capstone Project a Success

Completing one's capstone project is a big, and important, undertaking. Because these form the final piece of work you will hand in, and often impact your graduation marks—it is essential that you do everything you can to make your aviation capstone project a success. 

Now that you are aware of the above mistakes and how to avoid them, you have already improved your chances of success. If you would like to further ensure the completion of a superior aviation capstone project, we encourage you to learn more about our capstone and dissertation assistance services.